Learn My Lesson
by bruised-tears
Summary: (AU sort of) The club agree to protect a witness for a few weeks. Unfortunately a sexy redhead isn't the best housemate for a clubhouse full of bikers. ChibsOC
1. Chapter 1

A/N: don't own don't sue

Lyrics at the beginning are from Learn My Lesson by Daughtry

Set after Season One, before Abel is kidnapped and Gemma is raped and Jax turns into a jerk and the whole club hates each other. Generally back when the show had fun and all the coolest characters were still alive. Because I can, it's called artistic license.

Learn My Lesson

Chapter One

Tonight the sunset means so much  
The one thing that you know you'll never touch  
Like the feeling, the real thing I reach out for that sweet dream  
But somehow the darkness wakes me up  
And I've felt this emptiness before  
But all the times that I've been broken I still run right back for more  
You'd think that I've learned my lesson by now  
You'd think that I'd somehow figure out  
That if you strike the match  
You're bound to feel the flame  
You think that I'd learn the cost of love  
Paid that price long enough  
But still I drive myself right through the pain  
Yeah, well it turns out I haven't learned a thing  
Sometimes I think I'm better off  
To turn out the lights and close up shop  
And give up the longing, believing in belonging  
Just hold down my head and take the loss  
You'd think that I'd learned my lesson by now  
You'd think that I'd somehow figure out  
That if you strike the match  
You're bound to feel the flame  
You'd think that I'd learn the cost of love  
Paid that price long enough  
But still I drive myself right through the pain  
Yeah, well it turns out I haven't learned a thing

"And we're protecting this bitch because?" Tig demanded grouchily.

Clay glared at him.

"Because I say so."

"It's a favour for Unser." Jax jumped in before things could get nasty. "She's a witness to some deep shit. He doesn't trust the guys they've put on her."

Tig swore under his breath.

"So we get stuck with babysitting duty? What do we get out of it?"

Clay leaned forwards in his chair, eyeballing his Sergeant-At-Arms until Tig fell quiet.

"Keeping her alive keeps Unser happy keeps him off my back. Chibs gets first watch." He declared, officially dismissing them.

Tig was still grumbling as they filed out of Church. Jax caught up to him and slapped him on the shoulder.

"You won't be saying that when you see her, brother."

"She hot?" Tig asked eagerly.

"You have no idea." Jax called over his shoulder.

Tig paused thoughtfully, then sidled over to where Chibs was receiving last minute instructions from Clay.

"Bring her here tonight then take her to a safehouse. Keep her occupied. Take her to the zoo. Put her to sleep. I don't really give a shit. Just keep her alive and keep Unser from bitching at me."

Chibs nodded, turning as Tig joined them.

"I figured I could help. Four eyes are better than two, right?" He beamed.

Chibs lifted his eyebrows suspiciously. Clay just shook his head and walked away, muttering under his breath.

* * *

Chibs pulled up at the station resignedly, sliding off his helmet and pushing his glasses up his forehead. He gave his name to the unpleasantly frowning deputy at the front desk and waited impatiently for Unser to arrive. Babysitting. Jesus Christ. Some teacher, too, probably a fat middle-aged bint with an attitude. He turned at Unser's approach, ready to tear him a new one for making him wait around this dump being eyed by cocky deputies. Instead he found himself face to face with a sexy little redhead in a tiny lacy dress and ridiculously high heels. His first thought was she was a hooker waiting to be processed. Upon closer inspection he figured the dress was too classy and the heels too expensive for her to be a hooker. She was too delicate looking, too. She cocked her head and surveyed him.

"Well either you're my new bodyguard, or you're the stripper-gram I ordered."

Her voice was laced with amusement and he scowled, turning to Unser for an explanation. He bobbed behind the girl nervously.

"Naomi. This is Chibs." Unser introduced and she waved at him lazily over the Sheriff's shoulder. Unser pulled Chibs to one side. "The trial's in three weeks. She's been put here for her own safety until then. She'll be shipped back to the city for the trial." He eyed the Scot seriously for a moment. "Good luck."

Chibs watched him leave and then jerked his head for her to follow him. Her heels clacked loudly as she followed him down the hallway.

"That your everyday wear?" He indicated the clinging red dress with interest as he held the door open for her.

"They picked me up at a bar on my friend's birthday. Didn't even give me time to change." She broke off, whistling appreciatively at the sight of his bike gleaming in the late afternoon sun.

Chibs took the opportunity to give her a thorough onceover. Now he knew why Tig had wanted in so badly. He'd never seen legs that went on for so long. Or eyes that vivid shade of turquoise. Her lips curled as she caught him looking and he lifted his eyebrows unapologetically.

"Looks like I'm going to get a chill."

He eyed her skirt sceptically. She was going to have to hike it up even further just to get one leg on each side of the bike. He climbed on board, waiting for her to get herself arranged. She slid one long slender leg on either side of him, a smooth tender thigh contrasting against each of his dark jeaned thighs. One small delicate hand rested lightly on his hips, warm through his cut, and the other held her heels to one side. He handed her his spare helmet. He could feel every inch of her pressed against him as he started the engine, her breath warm against his neck. One thing was for sure, she was going to cause havoc at the clubhouse.

* * *

It wasn't a particularly long trip and Naomi was too tired to really enjoy it, although his broad muscled back was quite interesting. When she clambered down off the bike she was cold but exhilarated, her hair a wild nest all over the place from the helmet and the wind. The Prospect was outside sweeping up the lot and he gawped at them as they approached. She smiled as they passed him, eyeing the interior of the clubhouse curiously. It was dinner time so the place was deserted, everyone scattered in the search of food or visiting neglected families. She tried, unsuccessfully, to stifle a yawn. Chibs frowned. No one had mentioned sleeping arrangements. Well, he was nothing if not a gentleman. He led her back to his room. Her bare feet padded lightly on the slightly sticky floor, his jeans were rustling and the sound of Piney coughing gruffly echoed through the eerily quiet clubhouse.

He could sense her behind him, like a live flame and it made his nerves jumpy for some reason.

"Is this your room?" She asked in amazement and he bristled. "It's so tidy!"

He almost blushed, moving into the room to switch on the lamp.

"Take my bed."

She lifted her eyebrows in amusement but didn't comment, crossing the room and throwing herself onto the half-made bed. Her red dress and dark hair were a stark contrast to the pale blue sheets.

"So do I get any new clothes or shall I just sleep naked?"

His lips quirked into a smirk and she grinned at him. Then he sighed, moving over to root through his closet for something vaguely clean. He unearthed a mostly clean black t-shirt with a faded Samcro logo and tossed it at her. She held it up and sniffed experimentally. He glared.

"It smells just like your cut." He didn't know whether to be affronted or not. "I like it."

She dropped her heels onto the floor and climbed up off the bed.

"Do you mind?"

At first he thought she was kicking him out of the room, then he realised she wanted his help unzipping the lacy dress. He tugged off his gloves. He could see the barest hint of ink against her pale skin through the lacy material as he worked the stubborn zip.

"I hope it doesn't always take you this long to get a girl out of her dress."

She sounded amused again.

"Not usually darlin'."

She slipped out of the sleeves, tugged on the t-shirt and jimmied the dress down her legs from underneath the shirt. Chibs swallowed. There was something unbearably sexy about a beautiful woman wearing nothing but your shirt, he mused as she took the pins out of her hair and massaged her scalp with her fingertips. She circled around the room curiously, the t-shirt skimming the very tops of her thighs. He couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from her long bare legs, her smooth curtain of red locks contrasting with the black shirt. Her hair was tangled and wild from the bike ride over and he had a momentary flash of insight into what she must look like first thing in the morning. After making a short circuit of the room she returned and sat back down on the bed.

"I guess you want to know all the gory details, huh?" She eventually asked.

He looked at her steadily. She looked younger out of the dress, dark circles under her bright eyes, gnawing at her plump lower lip. Unbearably desirable, but young.

"Get some sleep, lass."

She stared at him in surprise.

"Thanks, Chibs." She rolled his name off her tongue curiously and he felt a little curl of heat ripple down his spine.

She heard him slip out of the room and she was grateful for the solitude after days of cops watching her like a hawk. She crawled under the blanket. The pillows smelt the same as the shirt; smoke and leather and something tangy and indefinable. Infinitely exciting. She curled up into a ball, staring at the lamp burning besides her contemplatively. She was bone-achingly tired. She'd been shunted from tiny room to tiny room for days, no contact with the outside world, everybody talking about her over her head like she couldn't hear them. In fact the most interesting thing about her entire week was the ride over here. She burrowed deeper into the pillows. How did this happen? Last year she'd been perfectly content working as a tutor, now she was running for her life. All because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

She must have fallen asleep finally because a loud thundering on the door woke her up. She bolted upright but the banging had already stopped and when she managed to drown out her pounding heart, she realised the sounds of a raucous party were echoing around the dorm rooms. She slid out from under the blankets. She could put her dress back on but it didn't smell too ripe nowadays. She dug out a long black sleeveless shirt from one of his drawers and pulled it on. It fell halfway down her thighs, a little bit more decent than the t-shirt which she tucked under the pillow. She ran a comb through her hair and gathered her courage.

The clubhouse was overflowing with bikers and crow eaters and porn stars and she searched unsuccessfully for Chibs. She couldn't see him anywhere and the looks she was getting were alternately frightening and disturbing. She stuck close to the bar, chatting vaguely to Half-Sack as he unloaded the beers into the fridges. He mixed her a drink.

"Okay that, is officially the worst cocktail I've ever tasted." She informed him, swallowing her mouthful with a grimace.

"You can do better?"

"Hell yes. I used to tend bar in college."

He cocked his head.

"Well let's see it then." He held a hand out to her and she lifted herself up onto the bar, swinging her legs over and clambering down the other side.

"You're on."

* * *

"Where'd you find that?" Tig asked Chibs, slouching down besides him and sucking back some of his beer.

"That's the witness we're protecting." He muttered, following his gaze to the redhead handing out cocktails at the bar.

"She's cute." Chibs glanced at Tig, the word coming from his mouth seemed almost obscene. "If you like 'em like that."

"You mean one hundred per cent female instead of seventy five per cent?"

Chibs eyed Tig as soon as the words left his mouth, wary of a blow coming his way. Tig looked back at him, then shrugged.

"Don't knock it 'til you've tried it."

Chibs guffawed.

"No thanks, bro. You can have my share of he-shes." Chibs levered up onto his feet, tripped a step when the alcohol surged to his head, and headed over to the bar.

"Hey Chibs!" Half-Sack beckoned him over as he manoeuvred through the wall of crow-eaters trying to manhandle his business. "You gotta try some of these, man. They're insane."

Naomi looked more animated than he'd seen her yet, her cheeks were pink and her hair was curling over her ears with the heat. As he watched she said something to Half-Sack and the two of them laughed.

"Okay, I'm going to see how good you guys really are." She teased, clattering bottles behind the bar as she searched for what she needed.

Chibs could feel the beer swirling uneasily in his stomach as he watched her pouring alcohol into a pitcher.

"What the hell's in that?" He asked queasily as the bottles kept coming.

"Two shots of vodka. Two shots of tequila. Two JD, two rum and-" She rummaged around and pulled out a lemon, slicing it in two and squeezing both halves into the jug. "Lemon juice." She poured out three shots. "It's called a Kick in the Balls. I thought it pretty appropriate." She nudged Half-Sack with an elbow. "Would you like a half-measure?"

Half-Sack looked at Juice sitting next to Chibs and eyeing the shot as though it were poison. They took the shot and Juice nearly toppled over from the impact.

"Jesus!" He cursed, his eyes starting to water. "What the fuck was that?"

Naomi threw her head back laughing, licking a trickle of juice from the back of her hand.

"Can't take the heat boys?" She teased.

Tig and Jax joined them at the bar, thumping Juice on the back. Sprawling across the bar from the impact he noticed Naomi's bare legs with interest.

"You gotta try one of these." He managed to get out.

"Are you sure? Doesn't look like these two could handle them." Naomi indicated Juice and Half-Sack.

"But they're pussies. And we are men." Tig knocked on the bar and she smirked, pouring all of them another shot. "Holy mother of God." He ground out harshly when the liquor burned down his throat.

"Another?" Naomi asked innocently, holding up the jug.

They stared at her.

"I like her." Tig announced, pushing his shot glass back towards her. "She's got balls."

"Well that's one more than Kip here." Naomi giggled, sharing out the last of the cocktail between them.

"Hey! I'll have you know my little guy is more than adequate." Half-Sack argued.

"Little huh?" Naomi lifted her eyebrows at him and Chibs snorted in amusement.

"If you need me to prove it-"

They drowned him out with protestations. Chibs climbed up onto a stool before he fell over. Everything was starting to get a little hazy, he focused on Naomi. He'd thought her a little uptight and stand-offish at the station but now that she'd relaxed a little he was re-assessing. She was pretty. Not the pornstar plastic pretty you get used to when you're dealing with crow-eaters, a more wholesome pretty. He squinted at her. She even had freckles.

"Got any more of these, darlin'?" Jax wiggled the shot glass.

"How about a Panty Dropper?" She asked innocently, blinking her big turquoise cat eyes at him.

"Fuck I like this girl." Tig hollered, slapping the bar top.

Chibs watched hazily as she poured more and more alcohol into the mixer. By the time they reached their sixth cocktail, Half-Sack had passed out and Juice had given up. Chibs was watching her drink Tig and Jax under the table. The girl looked sweet and young and innocent, but fuck if she couldn't drink! She barely looked drunk at all and Tig was swaying like a tree in a hurricane. Eventually Jax wandered off and Tig admitted defeat. He kissed her hand and stumbled off.

"Here."

Chibs blinked blurrily, afraid to lift his head in case it fell off. He eyed the glass of water sitting in front of him, contemplating the effort it would take to lift his hand.

"It'll help."

She moved down the bar a little closer to him, stepping over Half-Sack's snoring form. Now that she was closer he could see the signs of alcohol, her cheeks were burning and her eyes were glittering.

"Where's the door?" She leaned closer to ask over the pounding music and he could feel the heat emanating from her cheeks.

He got unsteadily to his feet. She pulled herself up onto the bar, almost tumbling over the side until she steadied herself. He led her towards the door, bouncing off Sons and crow-eaters alike. It seemed an interminably long time before they reached the cold sharp slap of fresh air. Naomi wobbled slightly as she moved away from the door and sat on one of the picnic tables. He hauled himself up on the table besides her. She tied her long hair in a knot off her neck. Chibs tried not to notice her long slender neck and the curve of her chest. Her long legs were bright in the moonlight, her pale skin luminous.

"Here." He felt something nudge his hand. She'd grabbed two bottles of water on her way out.

He managed to unscrew it after several clumsy attempts and a string of muttered obscenities. He gulped it down gratefully. She sipped hers more slowly.

"You can take your liquor." He said after a few moments of tense silence.

"I used to tend bar in college. You wouldn't believe how much free alcohol you get if you wear a low cut top."

He laughed, immediately regretting it when his head started to pound.

"So. Chibs. That's an, err… interesting name."

He glanced at her. She wasn't looking at him, she was looking up at the sky.

"Naomi, huh?" He shot back.

"Hippy parents."

A half-smile flickered over her mouth, drawing his attention to a drop of water beading there from the bottle. They lapsed into silence again.

"What'd you do at college?"

She gave a little start, as if she'd forgotten he was there, and turned to look at him. He found it slightly disconcerting to have those strange coloured eyes fixed on him so intently.

"Languages."

He stared at her, gaze flickering down to her mouth again. He frowned. He offered her a cigarette and after a moment, she took it. He put his own to his lips, flicking his lighter and trying to aim at least one of the three burning red dots towards the end of it. After the fifth time he missed and nearly took off an eyebrow, she took it from him. She leaned in towards him and a thin ribbon of silken hair slipped from behind her ear and fluttered over his cheek. She shoved it back irritably, the knuckles of her hand brushing his cheek. Her brow was furrowed as she concentrated and he could smell a fading citrusy perfume and apple scented shampoo. She cursed as the flame flickered out, snapping the lighter open and closed until it caught again. He could see the freckles on her nose and the little silver stars in her ears. She was very close.

She grunted in triumph as she finally managed to light it and he drew in a breath automatically. When the smoke cleared she was puffing on her own. She tucked his lighter into the pocket of his cut. Her hand was cold against the sensitive skin of his belly through the inside of his cut and he watched her tuck it between her thighs to keep warm. Sitting down the shirt rode right up her thighs and he hurriedly averted his eyes.

"So what's with the protection detail?"

She blinked at him in amusement, dragging on her smoke thoughtfully. The red glow caught in her hair and made it glimmer red and gold.

"I was sleeping with my boss. Who turned out to be screwing any intern, secretary and barely legal sandwich girl he could get it in within a five mile radius. I was handing in my notice a block away from a drive-by."

Chibs frowned enquiringly and she grinned.

"I told him exactly what I thought of him and exactly what he could do with his job and his small dick by scratching it into his brand new car with the keys to his apartment."

Chibs choked on his lungful of smoke, struggling to laugh and breathe at the same time.

"What kind of car?" He asked curiously.

"Acura. Fucking ugly thing too, he always did have shit taste."

Chibs eyed her approvingly. She'd fit right in around here. She sighed suddenly, finishing her smoke and flicking the butt into the darkness of the yard.

"So why exactly does a Sheriff hand over a witness to be protected by a bunch of bikers?"

He mulled it over in silence. Telling her about their understanding with Unser would put all of them in the shit if she blabbed. She didn't seem to expect him to reply anyway, she'd tilted her head back to peer up at the stars broodingly. He could see the line of her jaw and the slope of her nose. She wasn't classically beautiful; her eyes were too unusual, her mouth was a little too plump and her nose too snub. But she was still the most attractive woman he'd ever met.

"Hey Chibs!" They turned back to the clubhouse. The door had been shoved open throwing a bright square of light across the lot. "You getting your dick serviced or what?"

Naomi laughed as Chibs swore, leaping down from the table and hollering a stream of obscenities at Tig. Chibs took her hand and helped her down from the table. She winced when her bare feet hit the cold pavement.

"You shouldn't be out here anyway." He said disapprovingly, casting a glance around the dark lot.

"You think they know where I am?" She asked sceptically, following his gaze.

She shivered, taking a minute step towards him. She didn't seemed to realise she'd done it but he could feel her body heat seeping through his cut from her close proximity. She was frowning, staring intently at the closed gates leading out to the street. She didn't look afraid, more resigned and he shivered.

"Come on, I think I'm sobering up."

"God forbid." She smiled, letting him lead her back into the clubhouse.

* * *

"You don't look like you're having much fun."

Naomi jumped, flushing embarrassedly. Half-Sack handed her a beer, sliding in besides her on the bench.

"Sorry."

Naomi slugged back some beer, peering across the room vacantly. Almost every other girl in the building was wrapped around a man, most of them minus at least one item of clothing.

"Why you hiding down here in the corner?"

Naomi fidgeted with her beer bottle. She didn't really want to tell him that this seemed the safest place to keep groping hands off her body. Chibs was being chatted up by a bottle-blonde in the corner and after standing there awkwardly for twenty minutes, Naomi had sought refuge in a quieter corner. She drank some more beer.

"So you're testifying, huh?"

Naomi nodded.

"Yeah, I guess."

"And you ended up in Charming?" Half-Sack lifted his eyebrows and she laughed.

"Not exactly. They figured I wouldn't get caught and executed out here."

"Come on, it's not that bad!" Half-Sack protested over the pounding music. "And you've been invited to the only party worth going to! Do you know how many people would kill to be here?"

She grinned.

"Uh yeah. Judging from what those girls are doing to stay here, I think I can guess."

She indicated the two topless strippers writhing on Happy's lap a few tables away.

"Come on, let's dance." Half-Sack said suddenly, taking her beer from her.

She goggled at him as he leapt to his feet. He was peering at her with big blue puppy-dog eyes.

"Dance?" She repeated as if she'd never heard the word before.

"What's the matter, don't you think I can dance?"

He hopped from one foot to the other and she laughed.

"I don't know if I want to take that risk."

He pulled his face and grabbed her hand, yanking her to feet. It was pretty hard to dance to the loud rock music pounding loudly enough to shake the furniture, but Half-Sack was just as terrible a dancer as she'd expected and it wasn't long before they collapsed into fits of giggles. Staggering across the sticky floor towards the bar, Naomi cannoned off someone's back and would have flattened a table had Half-Sack not caught her. She apologised profusely, squinting rather hazily at the wavery blonde figure glowering at her.

"What's your problem?"

Naomi tried to focus but the floor kept shifting beneath her. Figures were moving and flickering around her. She felt someone take her elbow, the lights and noise were receding slightly and she breathed a little easier. She took a few breaths and her vision started to clear. She was being led down a darkened hallway. A dark haired girl and a Son were ensconced in a dark corner. By concentrating, very hard, she could just make out the Reaper wavering just in front of her and she followed that.

"Here." Chibs propped her up against the wall besides a door.

She felt a little more clear-headed away from the heat and press of bodies. She watched him fumble in his pockets, looking for a key judging from the drunken mumblings. Another Son staggered down the hallway. Leaning to the side to get out of his way, she rocked into Chibs and they hit the door with a thump.

"Ow."

His mouth hitched in a half smile. His pupils were so big she could hardly see any of the irises. His cheeks were flushed and she could see his pulse beating mere inches away from her nose. She reared backwards to put some distance between them, leaning on the door handle. It twisted under her palm and sprang open, almost depositing them in a pile on the floor.

"You can take my bed." Chibs slurred, his brow furrowing as he tried to focus on her blurry flushed face.

He gave her a light push and she stepped into the room. Chibs grabbed the discarded shirts strewn across an armchair and dumped them on the floor, tripping over a pair of boots and swore loudly. Naomi opened the window a little to allow a breeze into the stuffy room.

"Sheets are clean. Honest."

Naomi grinned, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"Thanks."

He wrinkled his brow in drunken confusion.

"What for?"

She shrugged.

"Being a gentleman and not pawing me."

"Well I'm gonna sit here for a minute." He muttered, slouching down into a worn patched old armchair behind the closed door.

His head fell against the wall, his eyes sliding closed and she grinned, lying back down on the bed.

* * *

"I think I'm dead."

Bobby cracked open an eye as Half-Sack staggered out from behind the bar holding his head as if it were a bowl of water he was afraid of spilling. Bobby shoved the crow eater off him and she flopped onto the worn sofa. He surveyed the damage fondly. Jax emerged from the hallway leading to the dorm rooms, pulling on a shirt. He stepped over Tig who was sprawled face down on the ground, tangled up with a stripper. He was followed after a moment by Happy and a crow eater.

"What day is it?" She groaned, leaning against the wall.

"Sunday." Bobby offered helpfully.

"Is that it?" She asked in surprise. "That was one hell of a long night."

"Nah. It only felt that way." Happy winked, then looked around the room. "Where's Chibs?"

"He disappeared after that girl drank him under the table." Opie muttered, scrubbing his hands over his face tiredly.

Tig muttered something and they looked at him.

"I said, that girl is fucking insane."

Jax lifted his eyebrows. Tig calling someone insane was sort of the pot calling the kettle black.

"I think he means insane in a good way." Half-Sack suggested, gathering the shot glasses spread across the bar into a bowl.

Tig grunted.

"Naomi!" The crow eater greeted as the redhead herself appeared behind Jax.

"Have you seen Chibs?" He asked her knowingly, quite unable to hide his smirk.

"Yeah. He said he was going to make sure no one bothered me. I didn't realise he meant passing out and using his dead weight as a makeshift door-blocker."

Bobby snorted in amusement and vanished into the depths of the clubhouse to retrieve him.

"Well I'm glad you don't work for anyone who doesn't like us." Jax observed, smirking as Naomi cocked her head inquisitively. "You managed to lay out at least three guys with nothing but a few cocktails."

She laughed and the crow eater groaned. Naomi made her way to the bar to get her some water.

"So you didn't?" She whispered pointedly when she returned.

"No. I'm guessing you did."

Naomi cast a bright green eye over Happy's shirt. The stripper grinned.

"Oh yeah."

Bobby returned practically carrying Juice who couldn't seem to control his limbs on his own, with Chibs trailing behind them.

"Those must have been some drinks, girly." Chibs growled as he helped haul Juice onto the sofa besides Bobby, almost squashing the crow eater who moaned in sleepy protest.

"Not really, these guys are lightweights."

Tig muttered something into the floor and Naomi grinned.

"Why aren't you suffering?" Tig croaked indignantly.

"Because I re-hydrated. Like I told you to do last night."

Noami turned to Juice as he finally started to stir. He turned big brown eyes plaintively on her and she bit her lip to keep from laughing.

"Juice!" Silence descended as they waited for the owner of the voice to appear. "Juice, I need you to-"

Clay stomped into the room, eyeing his Sergeant-At-Arms kissing concrete and several others looking rather worse for wear.

"I need you to do some research for me."

Juice saluted a little weakly and got shakily to his feet. He swayed and Naomi steadied him. He grinned gratefully, limping over to Clay and following him into the office. They dispersed, heading in search of food or showers or beds. Naomi hung around, unsure what she should do. Eventually Jax found her.

"I don't think you should leave the clubhouse. Just hang around and if you want anything-" He indicated Half-Sack. "Just tell the Prospect."

"Thanks."

He winked and headed out to the garage. Not really knowing what else to do, she headed back to Chibs's room to take a shower. When she re-emerged she rummaged through Chibs's closet for something else to wear. She really was going to have to buy some clothes soon. None of his jeans came anywhere near her. She did find a pair of black sweat pants which fit a little better and looked like they'd never actually been worn. She slipped them on and pulled on a white wifebeater, tying it in a knot around her waist. She looked presentable enough although she couldn't find any shoes so she had to settle for bare feet again.

"Do you need any help?" She asked Half-Sack, although she was surprised at how far he'd managed to get tidying up. She must have been in the shower for longer than she'd thought. "Well at least give me something to do." She pleaded when he shook his head.

He held his hands out apologetically and she sighed. Most of them were working in the garage so she retreated back to the dorm room. It really was remarkably tidy. She found a bookshelf mounted on the wall. Not much really, a few manuals and tattered porn mags. She sighed, flopping down onto the bed and staring at the ceiling.

* * *

Chibs and Tig dropped in on Clay around dinnertime to fill him in on the details of the hand-off they'd just made. After they were done they wandered into the bar and Chibs surveyed the clubhouse. Piney was sitting at the bar chatting to the Prospect and Juice was tapping away at the computer. He frowned.

"Hey 'Sack!" He barked and Half-Sack nearly dropped the bottle in his hand. "Where is she?"

Half-Sack looked confused for a moment, then relief coloured his features and he grinned.

"Still in your room, I think."

"You think?" Chibs snapped. "You didn't check on her?"

"I took her some food at lunchtime but she was asleep." The Prospect stammered.

Chibs barged through to the dorm rooms, thrusting open his door with little ceremony. She stared at him in amazement, sprawled across his bed flicking through a Harley magazine. Her hair was tied up exposing her long slender neck. He could see right down her vest and it took him a moment to remember why he was there.

"Good. I'm starving." She announced, sliding off the bed. He did a double take when he realised she was wearing his clothes. "And I'm bored."

"The Prospect can get you some food." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder and her face fell.

"I can't even go for a burger?"

He shook his head sympathetically and she sank back down onto the edge of the bed looking crestfallen.

"I'm serious, Chibs. I'm going stir-crazy." She pleaded.

"I'm sorry, lass. It's for your own good." She pouted and he returned to the bar to send Half-Sack for burgers.

"So am I staying here until the trial?" She asked when he returned with her food, sitting cross-legged on his bed.

"We can set you up in a motel."

She paused, a sachet of ketchup held to her mouth.

"I'd rather stay here."

He looked at her contemplatively.

"I can find somewhere else to sleep if you want your own bed back."

He laughed, scratching a hand over his chin.

"It's not that, sweetheart. It's for your own safety."

"And I'd be safer… on my own… in a motel… where anyone could find me?"

"You won't be alone. One of us will be with you."

She chewed her burger slowly, peering at him as if she could see right through him. He fidgeted.

"And is just one of you more likely to keep me safe than all of you?"

He could hardly argue with her logic. She licked a stray glob of ketchup from finger and he swallowed. He promised to talk to Clay about it, beating a hasty retreat out of the room before he did something he'd regret.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: don't own don't sue

Lyrics at the beginning are from Losin' My Mind by Daughtry

Set after Season One, before Abel is kidnapped and Gemma is raped and Jax turns into a jerk and the whole club hates each other. Generally back when the show had fun and all the coolest characters were still alive. Because I can, it's called artistic license.

Learn My Lesson

Chapter Two

Never thought a train goin' any place could've changed my life  
Never thought I'd say I could go insane, 'til I saw your eyes  
And I had to take another look to know for sure  
That you could be for real  
You found an empty seat sittin' next to me  
And I asked your name  
Where you comin' from?  
Where you headed to this Saturday?  
'Cause I'm gonna be out on the town  
As long as you are goin' there with me  
Yeah and my head keeps spinnin'  
You got me trippin'  
There's something about the way you move  
Yeah, every little single thing you do is like  
One part angel and one part danger  
But, oh, the kind of crazy I like  
You got me losing my mind  
It's getting hard to sleep  
Getting hard to think 'bout much these days  
'Cause everywhere I go  
Only thing I see is your glowing face  
And the way you light up every room you walk into  
Just makes me want to scream  
Yeah and my head keeps spinnin'  
You got me trippin'  
There's something about the way you move  
Yeah, every little single thing you do is like  
One part angel and one part danger  
But, oh, the kind of crazy I like  
You got me losing my mind  
Can't understand why you got me so far gone  
You're gonna have to lock me up before too long  
You've got me losing my mind  
Yeah and my head keeps spinnin'  
You got me trippin'  
There's something about the way you move  
Yeah, every little single thing you do is like  
One part angel and one part danger  
But, oh, the kind of crazy I like  
You got me losing my mind

Jax had moved back home once Abel came out of the hospital so he allowed Chibs to take his room since his back was agony sleeping in that armchair two nights in a row. He could have turfed Naomi out of his room but it didn't seem very chivalrous. He woke up surprisingly early, showering sleepily and tugging on his jeans and a shirt. The clubhouse was quiet as he knocked on his door to check Naomi had made it through the night. She didn't answer the door, even after the third knock and he felt concern roil in his stomach. He pushed open the door warily, his hand touching the gun at his waistband. The room was empty, the bed neatly made. Panic surged in his chest and he barged further into the room. There was a note on his pillow and he snatched it up, scrumpling it up in his anger. He took a deep breath and smoothed it out. It was the back of an old receipt for condoms and smokes, loopy girly handwriting scrawled across the back.

_Chibs  
Don't panic! I went to get some actual clothes. As much as I like wearing your stuff, there's only so long a girl can go without underwear._

He screwed the note up and shoved it into his pocket, grabbing his cut from Jax's room. He was going to have to find that girl before Clay found out he'd lost her and put a bullet in his frontal lobe. He found Half-Sack setting up the bar with the new liquor order. He blinked in surprise at Chibs's sudden appearance.

"You seen that gal?" He demanded gruffly.

Half-Sack shook his head, looking worried.

"No. Not this morning. Is she okay?"

"She won't be when I find her." Chibs ground out angrily. "Keep it between us." He ordered and Half-Sack nodded.

He drove from one end of town to the other. It was still early, people were opening up stores and wandering bleary-eyed down the high street with coffees. But no Naomi. Just when he was ready to strangle her, he caught a glimpse of those familiar legs heading into a store. He parked up and dashed after her, nearly knocking someone over in his hurry.

"Can I try these on? Thanks."

He stomped through the store, straight past the startled cashier and into the dressing room. Only one curtain was pulled across a stall and he shoved it to one side.

"What the—hey!" Naomi at least managed not to scream as he grabbed her.

"What the fuck are you doing?" He snarled, grabbing her arm and shaking her.

"Trying on some jeans." She replied calmly, indicating the jeans pulled halfway up her thighs.

The sight of her half-dressed, a black lacy bra dark against her pale naked skin, somehow only made him angrier.

"You're supposed to stay out of sight!" He hissed, his grip on her arm tightening.

"I was." She tried to disentangle her arm but his gloved fingers bit into her skin harder than ever. "I rang this place and told them I'd been robbed and all I had was the dress I was wearing and I could hardly go to work in it so they opened the store an hour early for me."

Some of his anger left him, calm returning now he knew she was safe. The store had been empty now he thought about it. She watched his face return to its normal colour until he let go of her arm. He felt shame flicker at the violent red marks he'd left on her pale skin. They'd definitely bruise.

"Can I finish getting dressed now?"

He suddenly realised quite how small the cubicle was. She'd backed up against the wall when he'd barged in. She didn't seem upset at his close proximity although her cheeks had reddened slightly. He stepped back with some difficulty.

"I'll be outside."

He listened to her moving around behind the thin curtain, trying not to think of what was going on. The sight of her half-naked form was burned vividly into his brain and he couldn't quite figure out why. She finally re-emerged in the jeans and a red chequered shirt rolled up at the sleeves. She had another pair of jeans and several tops slung over her arm and he eyed them.

"I hope ya weren't plannin' on paying for these with a credit card."

She lifted her eyebrows at him.

"Do I really look stupid to you?" She sighed, heading past him towards the cashier. "That dress was designer, worth at least a few hundred. She agreed to take it for all this."

He stood behind her scowling as the cashier folded up the new clothes and placed them into a bag. She kept glancing from Chibs to Naomi and back again, curiosity twisting her mouth into a grimace as she tried to smile and keep her mouth shut at the same time. Naomi thanked her and took the bag, following him out of the store. His back was absolutely furious and she stared at the Reaper uncertainly.

"I told you not to leave the clubhouse." He growled, cornering her the moment they were out of sight from the street.

"And I told you I needed stuff. Unless you want me to wear your clothes until the trial."

He glowered at her. She moved to go past him and he grabbed her, snatching her back and shoving her against the wall of the store, one hand on either side of her head to keep her in place. She looked up at him. There wasn't the least trace of fear in her eyes although they were glittering brightly. She tilted her chin defiantly. From this close her face was all angles; the slope of her nose, the line of her high cheekbones, the sweep of her lashes casting shadows on her freckles. Her tongue darted out along her lips and his gaze flickered down.

She peered up at him, his arms on either side of her face shrinking her world down to just the two of them. His dark glasses reflected her back at him, she could just make out the faintest glimmer through the black glass as he blinked. His scowl only emphasised the curve of his lips and she swallowed.

"Are you going to spank me?"

He pulled away, taking a step back away from her.

"You could have been killed." He said seriously. "You're here so we can protect you. Remember?"

She hung her head and muttered something. He touched her chin until she looked up at him, immediately sliding her gaze away.

"I said; it doesn't make a difference. If I testify or not I'm probably going to die. These people don't mess around."

"So why testify?" He asked gently.

"My brother got caught up with his friends, who for some reason thought it was a bright idea to rob a bank." Her cheeks flushed. "If I don't testify he goes to prison as an accessory." She fiddled with the shopping bag in her hands. "My brother wouldn't cope well in prison."

"That's a pretty selfless thing to do, sweetheart." His leather glove was warm against her chin but she refused to look at him. "Does your brother know you've got a price on your head for this?"

"No." She said sharply. "And he's not going to. He's just a kid." She scratched a mosquito bite on her arm absently. "My dad would kill me if I let my brother go to prison."

Chibs pushed his glasses up into his hair, frowning at her.

"Don't think your dad would want you to get killed over it."

She laughed.

"Let's just say if there's a firing line he'd give anything he had for it to be me and not Dexter jumping in front of it." She ran her hands through her hair uncomfortably. "It's fine. Really. It's a long story."

She pushed away from the wall turning her shoulder to him.

"Can we get breakfast?"

He looked at her and she smiled. Eventually he sighed and relented.

"To take back." He said firmly and she grinned, rolling her eyes with a pout.

"You're no fun."

He tucked her new clothes into the saddlebag on the bike and led her back onto the high street. They fell into step, walking the two blocks to the closest diner in tense silence.

"So how'd you end up on babysitting detail?" She ran an appreciative glance over him. "You look relatively capable to me. I would assume the Prospect would be given such a shitty duty."

He laughed.

"You'd have Half-Sack watching your back?" He asked incredulously and she grinned.

"You all watch my back. Part of it, at least." She lifted her eyebrows pointedly and he took the opportunity to take in how well the new jeans fit her.

"'Sides, it's not babysitting, it's keeping your troublesome ass alive."

"And I'm grateful." She laughed as they mounted the steps leading up to the diner.

He contemplated the jeans on their way up, part of him wondering exactly how grateful. When he joined her at the cashier inside she was reeling off half the menu.

"Steady lass!" He blurted in surprise. "You won't fit into your new clothes."

The distinctly pudgy waitress gave him a nasty glare that quite blatantly said 'sexist-pig' and turned to holler at the chef.

"How hungry are you?"

"For the guys." She said sweetly as if it were obvious. The waitress turned back to them and she pointed at Chibs. "He's paying."

"Generous." The waitress sneered, taking the money as if it were infectious.

"You have no idea." She smiled, leaning into his side.

He glared at her from behind his dark glasses.

"Come on, lighten up." She grinned.

He tried his very hardest to scowl at her but his lips weren't exactly receiving the messages his brain was sending and he found himself half-smiling at her.

"Oh baby!" Tig crowed, inhaling the scent wafting from the bag of food with a blissful grin.

They had descended on the two of them as soon as Chibs's bike had pulled up in the lot, first with leering chants and wolf whistles and then with various hoots of appreciation when they saw the food.

"Sorry it got a bit squashed." She apologised, handing out breakfast burritos and bagels stuffed with bacon and eggs.

"Eat it on the run." Clay ordered, striding into the yard looking intimidating. "I need you."

Naomi glanced over her shoulder at Chibs, a frown creasing her brow.

"She seems sorta attached to you." Tig observed with a dirty grin at Chibs.

Chibs ignored him, following Clay into the clubhouse.

* * *

"What're they doing in there?" Juice asked, leaning between the two of them from the back seat to get a better view of the ramshackle old hut they were watching.

"What do you think they're doing?" Chibs asked pointedly.

Juice giggled. Then he nudged Tig.

"What do you think about that girl at the clubhouse?" He grinned, exchanging a look with Tig and grinning at Chibs. "Hot right? Can't believe we're stuck out here watching a door. I bet Jax has got her bent over-"

Chibs shoved the truck door open and jumped out irritably.

"You okay?" Juice looked at him in surprise.

"Need to take a piss. Gonna hold it for me?" He snapped, marching around the truck and out of sight.

He was angry for some reason and he yanked his phone out of his pocket. He'd given her a disposable and told her she was only to use it in emergencies. He stabbed out the number without really knowing why. It rang for a long time. Just when he was about to hang up, she answered. Her innocent voice only inflaming his suspicions.

"Hello?"

"What're you doing?" He demanded in an undertone, feeling completely ridiculous.

"Sitting in my pyjamas watching re-runs of the Simpsons." She replied calmly, apparently completely unfazed by his tone. "Why? Is there something I'm supposed to be doing?"

He shook his head to himself, shocked at the surge of jealousy coursing through his blood. Why should he care what she did? Or who she did?

"Are you still there?"

He sighed, rubbing his free hand over his face tiredly.

"Yeah."

"You're weird, you know that?" She laughed.

"Just make sure you lock the window tonight. I gotta bad feeling."

"The window is glass. Anything that wants in is getting in." She pointed out and he cursed.

"Just do as you're told. For once."

"Alright. Don't get your panties in a bunch. Geez."

He closed his eyes and prayed for patience. He could practically hear her amusement trickling down the phone. Christ he'd barely known her for three days and already he didn't know if he wanted to strangle her or... He frowned. She got right under his skin and he had no idea why.

"Was there something else?"

He hung up. The sooner they got rid of her, the better. She was bad for his peace of mind. Juice banged on the back of the truck to get his attention. He tugged his gun out of his jeans warily, gaze flickering around suspiciously. The meth head took him by surprise, sending him sprawling face first into the dusty ground. His gun bounced out of his hand. He could hear Tig and Juice hollering as he struggled to throw the guy off his back. He felt a searing pain in his shoulder and rage surged through his system. He managed to throw the guy off and Tig grabbed him.

"You're bleeding!" Juice panted, hauling him to his feet.

Chibs touched his shoulder, his hand coming away bloody. The sleeve of his shirt was ripped but the cut didn't feel too deep. He shook his head at a worried Juice, watching as Tig knocked the meth head around trying to get Clay's info out of him.

For not being too bad of a wound it bled a hell of a lot, all over the truck in fact.

"What the hell happened?" Gemma demanded, the instant they reached the garage.

"S'nothing." Chibs muttered, edging past her and into the clubhouse, leaving Tig to take the heat from Gemma.

"You're bleeding!" He blinked at Naomi when she darted in front of him.

"Just a scratch, sweetheart."

She glared at him and he glared right back. Then she reached out and jabbed his shoulder firmly with her finger. He hissed in pain then swore at her.

"What the fuck was that for?"

"Just testing a theory." She said pointedly. "Are you going to the hospital?" She scowled angrily when he scoffed. "At least clean it. Scars are sexy but infections aren't."

"Yes, mother."

She tried to scowl again but he could see her lips were curling slightly despite herself.

"Stop fussing, lass. I've had worse than this." Her smile faded slightly. "You gonna take care of me?"

She gave him a small half-smile again, grabbing his sleeve and leading him over to the bar.

"You didn't have to rugby-tackle a knife wielding maniac just to give me something to do." She chastised, shoving him down on a stool.

"Well it was that or lock you in. Can't be chasing you down if you go walkabouts again."

"I explained about that." She said crossly, ducking down behind the bar.

"A new pair of jeans wouldn't mean shit if you'd got your ass shot."

She mumbled something under her breath, pouring him a shot of JD.

"You gonna use that to clean it?"

She stared at him as if he'd said something blasphemous.

"Hell no. This is Jack Daniels, why would I waste it?" She pushed his shot at him. "Painkiller."

She rummaged around and dug out a rather dusty First Aid kit. She unzipped his leather vest, helping him shrug it off his wounded shoulder.

"Do you want to take it off, or shall I cut the sleeve off?" She asked, fingering the knife slice in the material.

"You can handle a knife, huh?" He lifted his eyebrows, watching as she squinted at the wound.

She grinned, looking at him from under her lashes and pouring him another shot.

"A girl needs some sort of protection, shacking up with a garage full of red-blooded bikers." She cocked her head. "I have to look like I'm resisting somewhere, bad for my reputation otherwise. So." She tugged on the shirt sleeve. "Off?"

"Just couldn't wait to get his clothes off him, could ya?" Juice snorted when he walked in on Chibs slipping his wounded arm out of his sleeve with a grimace.

Naomi rolled her eyes although her cheeks had gone pink. She wiped the blood away with warm water, then swiped the wound with an alcohol wipe and antiseptic. She used a bandage to wrap around his arm, tightening it until he winced. Clay summoned them into Church and she cleaned away the bloodied cloth and bandage wrappers. She sat uncomfortably at the bar and waited for them to re-emerge, running her finger through a small puddle on the bar's surface.

"You okay?"

She shrugged at Half-Sack as he paused on his way to Church.

"Yeah. I think I'm going to lie down."

She smiled at him brightly, as he cast a worried glance over her.

"It's been a long morning." She pushed her hair behind her ear. "Sounds like they're waiting for you." She grinned as Opie shouted for him and Half-Sack scuttled for the door.

* * *

"Hey. You gonna hide in here all night?"

She shrugged without looking up, moving a card across the bed to the correct pile.

"What's wrong?"

She felt the bed dip as Chibs sat down behind her. She'd swept her hair over one shoulder and she could feel his intent gaze burning into her bare neck.

"Nothing." She frowned at the cards spread out in front of her. No more moves.

"You've been in here since this afternoon." He said gruffly, watching the play of muscles rippling under her pale skin under the black vest top as she reached for the cards.

"The last time I went somewhere, you got stabbed." She muttered, shuffling the cards back together.

The words didn't sink in at first, he was too busy trying to figure out what the black ink between her shoulder blades was. When his brain did catch up, he scowled.

"That had nothin' to do with you, sweetheart." He leaned closer towards her when she seemed to ignore him. "That was business. Not your fault."

She cocked her head slightly until he could see her profile, the sweep of her lashes and one corner of her mouth.

"You better not be lying to me."

He grinned.

"Cross my heart, lass."

She pursed her lips, assessing him carefully. Eventually she turned away and packed the cards together.

"What's going on out there?"

He lifted his eyebrows and she smiled. From the loud music, raucous cheering and excited whooping echoing through the thin walls, it was quite obvious what was going on.

"Come on." Chibs took her elbow and pulled her to her feet. "Half-Sack bet Tig he couldn't take you in a drinking competition."

"Nice to know you're wanted." She sighed.

She moved towards the door but his hand on her wrist made her pause.

"I… er… you might want to think about getting changed."

She could almost have sworn that he was blushing as she looked down at the shorts and vest she'd pulled on to sit around in. They really did leave very little to the imagination.

"Oh. Right." She could feel her cheeks burning and she avoided his eyes.

She pulled on a pair of jeans and some Converse, tying her hair back in a ponytail out of the way. The clubhouse was heaving with people as she weaved her way through the groups of bikers and pornstars. She climbed over the bar, arranging beers on a tray, stacking a tower of shot glasses and grabbing two bottles of tequila. She pulled out a tray of freshly sliced limes and a couple of the salt shakers from behind the bar. Tig, Juice, Chibs and Bobby were sitting around one table near the back.

"Well boys… it has been a long week. Any bets on how many shots I can take you guys for?" She cocked her head to the side as she joined them.

Juice nearly fell off his stool besides her as she poured them all a shot. She nudged him playfully with her elbow.

"Think you boys can take me?"

"Can we do that body shot thing?" Juice asked excitedly as she handed out the salt and limes.

"Maybe later." She smiled at him. "If I'm losing."

Naomi could feel someone burning a hole in her back and she glanced over her shoulder. Tara was glaring at her with a face like a busted clock. Naomi leaned sideways towards the Prospect who was on her right.

"What's with her? Which one of you has she got by the balls?"

The Prospect could barely get the words out he was so busy choking on his tequila, so he nodded at Jax instead. Naomi turned her green eyes on the blond-haired VP.

"Shame."

Jax grinned at her, saluting her with a shot glass.

They were halfway down the second bottle of tequila when Half-Sack and Juice begged for mercy and Naomi staggered into the crowd to find a bathroom. On her way back she got roped into an argument Piney was having with Happy and it took her nearly an hour to extricate herself. She crossed the room to where Chibs and Bobby were playing poker with a few Sons from out of town. Chibs slid over slightly and she settled down between them.

"Gentlemen."

She tapped the table in front of her and Chibs grinned, dealing her in.

"How about we make it strip poker?" Tig leered from a seat nearby, his hand up a blonde's skirt.

"If you like." Naomi said evenly, giving him a long level stare.

Gemma leaned one arm on Clay's shoulder, her dark eyes on the poker game. She'd been observing Naomi carefully since she'd arrived, a fact the redhead had noted and let pass unchallenged out of respect.

"Gonna be a problem?" Clay murmured as a sexy blonde in a miniscule skirt exchanged his empty glass for a full one.

"I kinda like her." Gemma chuckled as Naomi won the hand and Bobby stripped his vest to loud cheering.

* * *

There was loud whooping and wolf-whistles as Bobby stood up to drop his jeans. Most of them, who weren't otherwise occupied by now, had gathered to watch the rest of the game. Bobby was now in nothing but his underwear and one sock. Chibs had maintained his jeans and little else. The out of town sons had dropped out hours ago and their places had unwisely been taken by a drunken Juice and Half-Sack. Juice was down to his socks and vest with nothing but an empty snack bowl to protect his dignity and Half-Sack was down to his underwear. Naomi, however, was still fully dressed and sitting on a very large pile of chips.

"What do you say boys, ready to call?"

Juice swore and tossed down his cards, turning to a nearby brunette for comfort. Bobby was muttering furiously under his breath but he was grinning as he downed the rest of his beer and left the table.

"You've got a good poker face." Tara commented as Naomi gathered up her winnings and restacked the cards.

"I guess."

Naomi and Tara exchanged long considering looks. Jax's eyes flickered from one to the other, his beer halfway to his lips. Juice nudged Half-Sack eagerly. The prospect of a cat fight between two hot girls flashed around the bar like wildfire. Naomi turned away with a sigh, forcing her way through the crowds and slipping into Chibs's room.

She was coiled up on top of the sheets when Chibs checked on her a few hours later. Her hair was spread out across the mismatched pillows, her long bare arms and legs tucked together. Pulling the sheets up over her he glimpsed the mysterious ink he still hadn't figured out yet peeking from under her vest where it ridden up her back. In his drunken state it seemed like an excellent idea to take a peek. Her skin was warm against his fingertips, smooth and pliant. She made a little sighing noise, pressing a little further into the mattress. He inched the vest up a little further, eyeing the way her hip curled into her ribs. She sighed, rolling fully onto her front and away from his hand. She turned her head on the pillow until she was facing him. She looked peaceful and young and he felt guilt flare in his stomach. He gave up, tucking the sheet up around her waist and staggering out of the room.

* * *

Naomi wandered bleary-eyed and yawning into the clubhouse around lunchtime the next day, still in her vest and shorts. Piney hailed her from by the bar, flicking his gaze over her bare flesh. She lifted her eyebrows as she took a seat besides him and he held out his hands.

"I'm old, not dead." He chuckled.

"Well look who it is."

She winced as Tig and Chibs ambled into the clubhouse on their break. She glared at them from under her tousled red mop. Tequila always gave her a hangover like an anvil repeatedly being dropped on her head.

"Can't take the heat, lady?" Tig teased.

"I can hold my own." She grinned, gratefully grabbing the coffee Chibs shoved towards her in amusement. "Were you in my room last night?" She asked after a moment of blissfully sipping the lava-hot liquid.

Tig and Piney turned to Chibs with matching amused smirks.

"No." He snapped defensively, leaning across the bar and propping his elbows on the shiny surface.

"Huh." She sipped some more coffee. "Must have been a dream."

"More like a nightmare." Piney wheezed and Tig guffawed in amusement. "Lock your door, gorgeous."

"I'm standin' right here, old man." Chibs snapped touchily.

"You didn't wake up feeling violated, did you?" Tig asked and she laughed, then winced. "Any bruises?"

She shook her head, then lifted her arm where the bruises from her shopping trip were still a vivid blue-black on her pale skin.

"Didn't know you were into that." Tig leered, sliding a little closer to her along the bar.

"Only if I'm doling it out."

Tig's smirk only got bigger. Naomi glanced at Chibs in amusement, only to find him frowning darkly at the two of them. He looked like he was trying to figure something out, something complicated with no right answer. It made her feel like she was under a microscope and she shifted uncomfortably on the stool, feeling flushed.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: don't own don't sue

Lyrics at the beginning are from Tennessee Line by Daughtry

Set after Season One, before Abel is kidnapped and Gemma is raped and Jax turns into a jerk and the whole club hates each other. Generally back when the show had fun and all the coolest characters were still alive. Because I can, it's called artistic license.

Learn My Lesson

Chapter Three

I open my lungs  
To breathe in forgiveness and love  
Haunting me now, reminders of how I used to be  
And on down the road my troubles are sure to follow  
Looking out the window, hell if I know where I will go  
So I'll just keep on driving  
On my way to L.A.  
Looking into the rearview as the roads fade away  
I've sworn off my past  
First and last bad call that I ever made  
Tell me how to make right  
Every wrong turn that I've learned so this can all end tonight  
Tennessee line just changed my mind  
Well, it's my heart I'll follow this time  
Who would've known that pride is so hard to swallow?  
As I rest on the shoulder of a road growing colder  
With the trouble I own, should I just keep on driving?  
On my way to L.A.  
Looking into the rear view as the roads fade away I've sworn off my past  
First and last bad call that I ever made  
Tell me how to make right  
Every wrong turn that I've learned so this can all end tonight  
Tennessee line just changed my mind  
Well, it's my heart I'll follow this time  
I know I must be doing something right  
Head the other way, back to where I started out  
Ask myself if I can turn it all around tonight  
And stop living with doubt  
On my way to L.A.  
Looking into the rear view as the roads fade away  
I've sworn off my past  
First and last bad call that I ever made  
Tell me how to make right  
Every wrong turn that I've learned so this can all end tonight  
Tennessee line just changed my mind  
Well, it's my heart I'll follow this time

They were all off doing something for the club. It was just Naomi, Piney and Half-Sack. She had been a good girl all day, hiding out inside the clubhouse and helping out in the garage, but now she was bored beyond belief and she couldn't take it anymore. While Half-Sack was distracted unclogging the toilet, she slipped outside. She was sore, dusty, covered in grease and oil and she'd had an accident that had left a nasty cut on her arm. Plus the weather had only gotten hotter. She pulled on a grey cotton summer dress she'd got second hand and headed past the garage to a little grove of trees around the side of the clubhouse. Half-Sack had helped her set up a huge hammock between two of the rather unimpressive trees earlier that day and she headed there now with a book Half-Sack had smuggled in for her.

That was how Chibs found her hours later when he staggered outside, a little worse for the wear after a long afternoon of drinking, popping pills and smoking, looking for somewhere to pee. Once he'd finished he squinted at the hammock in bewilderment. He could see long slim legs dangling over the side but nothing else.

"If you touch me with those hands, you'll be singing soprano." Naomi warned before he could quite touch her knee. "Wash your hands."

He caught the bottle of water she tossed at him, unscrewing the lid and pouring the remaining liquid over his hands. She was lying in the hammock, her legs over one side and her long hair loose over the other. There was a large leather tome nestled in the V of her legs. She lifted her eyebrows at him.

"Well? Climb on." She gave him a thoroughly wicked look and he felt his stomach quiver pleasantly.

He gave the hammock an incredulous look and she grinned challengingly. The hammock was swinging wildly when he finally managed to manoeuvre in besides her. He looked doubtful and a little ridiculous and he lifted his eyebrows at her. He leaned over her shoulder to look at the book.

"Is that French?"

"Uh huh."

She flipped it over so he could see the title. It was a collection of French short stories.

"That is a really huge book, lass." He commented and she laughed then winced almost immediately. "What's up?"

She half shrugged one shoulder then gestured vaguely at her forehead.

"Headache." She grinned ruefully.

Chibs considered for a moment, then wriggled around and tucked his hand down the back of his jeans. The hammock rocked precariously and Naomi cursed.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Chibs stopped wriggling and held a rolled up black cap out towards her. She peered at it as if it might be a cunningly disguised poisonous bug that might take her hand off.

"Please tell me that came from your pocket and not down your jeans." She said warily.

Chibs laughed and shook out the cap, slapping it onto her head and tugging it down to her brows. She stared at him from under it for a moment, until his grin slid from his face and he started to wonder if he'd offended her. She reached up and readjusted the brim a little higher on her forehead.

"You're sweet, you know that?"

Chibs almost turned pink and scowled heartily at her but his eyes weren't exactly displeased. Before he could reply he caught a glimpse of the angry red gash on her arm. He reached out surprisingly quickly and snatched her wrist in his hand before she could slide her arm out of his sight.

"What's that?"

She frowned and looked down at her arm consideringly, as if she hadn't even noticed it before now.

"I was helping Half-Sack in the garage this morning. The driver was in a rush. I dropped the socket wrench and he nearly took my arm off while I was getting it back."

Neither of them seemed to notice that Chibs still had hold of her wrist, a gentle feather-light touch. His large hand was surprisingly soft.

"You let him do that?" His scowl got wider. "Half-Sack let him do that?"

She lifted her gaze and smirked at him. He was very close, his alcohol-sweetened breath fanning across her cheek.

"Low profile, remember." She said sweetly, her voice barely a murmur. "I don't think you guys beating the hell out of someone is very low profile. Especially when I'm supposed to be just another girl hanging around you guys."

Chibs turned his bright eyes back to her arm, turning her wrist over. He brushed a still damp thumb over the ink on the delicate skin there. _"As you wish…"_ in intricate curled script.

"It's from a movie." Naomi supplied, wishing he'd move his thumb before he felt the mad fluttering of her pulse. "You wouldn't like it."

"I might." Chibs replied in a thoroughly affronted tone.

Naomi lifted her eyebrows in amusement.

"Ten bucks says you don't make it halfway through."

Chibs grinned. His grin slipped a little when he realised how close they were. He could feel her breath against his throat. The peak of the cap was touching his forehead. He could see all the gold flecks in her brilliant green eyes, the inky black lashes brushing her cheeks when she dropped her gaze. She swallowed, willing herself to stop looking at the slightly parted lips barely inches away.

Naomi drew away, licking her dry lips and putting a bit more space between them.

"Good book?" Chibs asked after a moment of tense silence. "What's happening?"

* * *

Chibs had fallen deeply asleep before any of the others emerged from the bar. The noise was ridiculous, Naomi had no idea how anyone could be sleeping through it and it wasn't even a full blown party. Half-Sack had been sent by a suspicious Clay to find Chibs and Naomi. He did not want their delicate agreement with Unser to come unravelled because Chibs had a hard on for the sexy little witness. Half-Sack wobbled a little as he peered at the deserted garage. He followed Chibs's footprints from earlier, adding his own mark to the wall.

Just as Chibs had, he blinked at the sight of legs dangling over the edge of the hammock. He swung his arms over the hammock and squinted down at them.

"Do not throw up on me." Naomi ordered when she saw how bleary-eyed he was.

Half-Sack grinned at Chibs snoring lightly besides her. Naomi sighed and held out a hand to Half-Sack. He helped her slip down from the hammock. She jabbed Chibs in the ribs with her book to wake him up. He grunted in his sleep, batting at the book grumpily and muttering something indecipherable in his slurred Scottish burr. Naomi poked him with her fingers, tickling him until he was squirming. He finally woke up and peered up at them.

"'Sack?"

Naomi was much more awake than Chibs was after a long day of hauling dead bodies in the burning heat on a hangover and she stared at Half-Sack suspiciously.

"They sent you to look for us." Half-Sack nodded and she rolled her eyes. "Well you can tell them that we're both fully clothed, even if only one of us has been conscious for the past three hours."

Half-Sack gave them a strange suspicious look, then he pulled a joint out of his pocket and wiggled it at her. Naomi wasn't a big drug person, but it had been a weird few weeks. Her head was still hurting from the heat and she could do with some forgetting. Half-Sack looked at her, Chibs looked at her. She shrugged. What the hell. She was not, however, having her hammock stinking for weeks. She led them back towards the garage. She and Half-Sack pulled a tarp from a half-stripped car. It was still pretty cool, having been in the shade of the garage for most of the day. Naomi settled down on the hood, the glass windscreen cool against her back through the thin dress.

"Whose car is this?" She asked as they pulled themselves up besides her.

Chibs clambered slightly ungracefully up onto the other side and stretched out, one arm behind his head. He pulled out a lighter and the brief flash of light illuminated the three of them. They passed the joint around in silence for a while.

"Just so we're clear." She finally said, handing the joint to Half-Sack. "You guys have no chance at a three-way."

Chibs snorted and Half-Sack chuckled. Time became a bit hazy after that. Naomi didn't know how long they'd been sitting there, passing the joint around and giggling over stupid questions they asked each other.

"Okay, virginity." Half-Sack slurred, coughing up smoke.

"Is that an admission, Kip?" Naomi teased, nudging him with her elbow. "Don't worry, it's nothing to be ashamed of."

Chibs was spluttering with laughter as Half-Sack hurried to deny it. He even offered to prove it but Naomi pleaded for mercy and he finally stopped grumbling and muttering.

"I was fifteen." Naomi sighed wistfully, blowing a plume of smoke into the night air. "Spider was seventeen. I was so in love." She laughed without much mirth. "I would have done anything for him. Back of my mom's truck."

"I was fifteen, too." Chibs offered. "Polly Sprang."

Naomi burst out laughing, laughing so hard she could hardly breathe.

"Polly Sprang? She sounds like a porn star, or a sex position." Naomi said thoughtfully, causing a bellow of guffaws from Half-Sack. "What happened? Did you put it in by accident?"

Half-Sack could barely breathe for giggling. Naomi giggled, then she turned on Half-Sack and demanded his story.

"Seventeen." He muttered, suddenly very interested in his belt buckle as he fiddled with it clumsily. "My friend's mom."

Naomi and Chibs gaped at him, Chibs propping himself up on one elbow to peer over Naomi's stomach.

"Nice score, brother." Chibs breathed in appreciation.

Naomi snorted and shoved Chibs lightly in the chest.

"Wow that's real tasteful." She mocked.

"Oh tasteful, what like the backseat of mom's car?" Half-Sack protested, jabbing her in the side with a ringed finger.

"Hey it was the flatbed of my mom's truck." Naomi corrected as haughtily as she could when she was trying to squirm out of his reach.

"Wow the height of class." Half-Sack taunted, jabbing her again.

He must have hit a ticklish spot because Naomi jumped as if electrocuted with a muffled shriek of protest.

"Hey! Don't make me hurt you. No. Ah-" Naomi broke off into breathless giggles as she tried to get her woozy body to respond.

Chibs caught both of her flailing hands in one of his and took over poking and prodding her with the other. Half-Sack watched them both in hazy amusement until their antics almost knocked him off the hood of the car.

"What the—hey! Get a room." He groaned, settling back against the window.

"Weren't you supposed to be telling Clay where we are?" Naomi said idly as they settled back down.

Half-Sack looked confused for a moment, then his whole face drooped and a horrified look stole into his eyes. He scrambled down off the car and darted into the darkness towards the muffled noise of the bar. Chibs and Naomi watched him disappear.

"You should probably go with him, you know." Naomi sighed, pushing herself up into a sitting position. "Just to prove I haven't had my wicked way with you or anything."

Chibs chuckled. In his intoxicated state all he could see was her pearly white profile framed by dusty stars, her dark hair tumbling over her shoulders from beneath his Samcro cap.

"If you stare at me any harder, your eyes will fall out." Naomi said coolly, but she avoided his eyes shyly. "It must be late. I'm gonna head to bed."

Chibs clambered down and helped her slide from the hood. His hands were warm on her waist and her lips quirked into a smirk.

"You going to walk me to my room?" She asked in amusement, quite enjoying the way he glared at her in something like embarrassment.

He muttered something until she took pity on him and tugged his sleeve. They walked towards the bar together in surprisingly tense silence.

"Can I ask you something?" She said as they came to the little path that led between the garage and bar. "What's your name?"

"Filip." Chibs said.

"Er, okay. Chibs it is." Naomi said as best as she could when she was biting her lip to keep from giggling.

She saw Chibs's frown even as he shrugged it off. She touched his shoulder lightly.

"You're cute when you smile."

She brushed her fingers against his chin, then reached up onto her tiptoes and touched her lips against the scar on his cheek. She felt him start in surprise and she pulled back, hurrying towards the clubhouse without looking at him again. That would be a very dumb idea.

* * *

Chibs and Jax had just finished storing the guns in the late night hours. The clubhouse was quiet for once, everyone was at home or in bed it was that late. Jax handed Chibs a cigarette, eyeing the older man curiously. He'd been withdrawn all night, not the thoughtful silence he was capable of maintaining but something brooding and heavy.

"Something on your mind?" He asked after puffing away in silence for a while.

Chibs shrugged, fiddling with the shades slung around his neck absently. Jax figured he had a pretty good idea what was on the Scot's mind but he knew better than to mention it. He pushed away from the wall, stamping out the cigarette and stretching tiredly.

"Better get back, I left the kid with Gemma."

Chibs nodded absently, not really registering anything he said he was so deep in his own thoughts. Jax clapped him on the shoulder and left him to it. Chibs finished his cigarette slowly, peering across the dark lot without really seeing it. When he was done he tossed the butt away, making his way through the clubhouse to his room on autopilot. He already had the door half open when he remembered it wasn't his room at the moment. He paused at the strange panting noises emanating from the dark room. Whimpering and huffing. He scowled. She was not screwing somebody in his bed? He shoved the door open the rest of the way. The sheets were writhing and his anger peaked.

"What the fuck are-" He broke off when Naomi bolted upright with a muffled shriek.

She scrambled backwards, falling off the bed with a loud painful-sounding thump. He hurried around the bed, switching on the lamp. She must have been dreaming, her skin was slick with sweat and her hair was plastered to her neck and shoulders in sticky tangles.

"It's okay, lass." He murmured gently, pushing her damp hair off her sweat-beaded forehead.

Her eyes were darting and her chest was heaving, she clung to his arms so tightly her nails dug into his skin.

"It's okay." He took her face in his hands, forcing her to focus on him. "It's okay. Take a deep breath."

He was worried she'd hyperventilate, her chest was heaving so deeply it looked painful. And each bone-rattling gasp ended in a sharp rattle.

"Calm down, Naomi."

The sound of her name seemed to calm her somewhat, the scared look melted from her eyes and she seemed to recognise him. He tucked her hair behind her ears and she took several deep gulps of air. He could feel her trembling.

"It was just a dream, sweetheart."

She nodded and her death grip on his arms eased a little. She took a few more deep shuddering breaths. He could feel her pulse thundering under his palm, the skin of her throat burning up.

"That must have been a hell of a nightmare."

She shook her head, quite clearly indicating that she didn't want to talk about it. Now she'd loosened her grip on his arms he could feel her hands shaking.

"It's nothing."

Her voice was croaky and weak. She managed to unclench one of her hands from his sleeve and swipe her forehead with her arm.

"Ya shaking like a leaf." He frowned worriedly.

"And here you thought I had it all together, huh." She smiled humourlessly.

"Everyone dreams." He said firmly. "Can you stand up?"

"I had a nightmare, I'm not an invalid." She muttered indignantly and he grinned.

He took her by the elbows and helped her up, sitting her down on the edge of the bed. She was shaking from head to bare toes, he could actually see her hand trembling as she lifted it to push her heavy curtain of hair off her damp shoulder.

Chibs rolled his sleeve up and showed her the crescent-shaped marks where she'd dug her nails through his shirt, touching one finger to the dark bruises still braceleting her arm.

"Guess you got me back."

Her lips tweaked weakly and he smiled, smoothing back her hair shakily.

"This is so embarrassing." She groaned miserably, hiding her face in her hands. "Are you going to tuck me in too?" She peeked at him between her fingers.

"Only if you want me to, darlin'."

She smiled despite herself and he grinned.

"I guess I'm lucky you're here."

She tugged on his sleeve playfully. Her cheeks were pale and her hands were still shaking but the fear had drained from her eyes. He pushed her back gently and she crawled under the tangled sheets obediently. They were damp and heavy with sweat as she pulled them over her waist.

"Aren't you going to kiss me goodnight?"

He frowned at her. She was grinning teasingly at him, propping her head up with her hand. Something shifted while they looked at each other, the grin slowly slipped from her face and her gaze flickered briefly to his lips. She frowned as if she were thinking about something she shouldn't be.

"Only if you want me to, darlin'." He repeated.

His voice sounded strange even to his own ears, his accent was thicker than ever. He leaned down, pressing his lips to her temple. He didn't miss the sudden intake of breath at his proximity. Okay so pretending she was his daughter was not working. Not at all. She stared up at him and he knew she was holding her breath. The room was so quiet he could almost hear her heart pounding in her chest. His own wasn't too steady either.

"That would be a very bad idea." He said slowly and carefully.

"Very." She agreed, so quietly that he hardly heard her, which only succeeded in drawing his attention to her mouth. "Still…"

The moment continued to draw out like a long thin wire stretching between them, ready to snap.

"You're scared." He swallowed, scrambling to pick up the pieces of his resolve when she peered at him with heavy-lidded eyes that seared right through to his groin. "You don't want to be making rash decisions… and I don't want to be taking advantage." He moved away from the bed before he could change his mind.

"There is such a thing as being too much of a gentleman, you know."

He heard her mutter as he pulled the door closed behind him.

* * *

Chibs didn't think he was imagining Naomi avoiding him like the plague for the next two days. Every time he entered the clubhouse she seemed to be just leaving the room. When he sat at the bar she sidled off to help Half-Sack work on an ugly station wagon outside. When he took a smoke break at the garage she beat a hasty retreat inside to help Juice with some research. She was laughing with him now, sitting on the desk besides his computer as he tapped away. Chibs leaned against the wall with one shoulder, puffing absently and watching them through the dark glass of his shades.

Juice said something and she laughed, tilting her head back until her hair caught the light filtering through the window. She leaned down towards Juice and his cheeks flamed as he listened to whatever she was saying. She poked him in the shoulder when he shrugged them embarrassedly. From where he was standing Chibs could see Juice struggling valiantly to keep his eyes on the computer and not her jeaned thighs next to his arm on the desk.

"You okay baby?"

Chibs blinked at the sound of Gemma's voice, shrugging vaguely. Gemma followed his gaze over his shoulder.

"Somethin' going on there?" She asked, watching as Juice gestured with his hands and Naomi shook her head giggling.

"I ain't the gal's keeper." Chibs muttered grouchily.

"Uh huh."

Gemma studied Naomi. She was comfortable with Juice, that much was obvious, but there was nothing more than light flirtation in her manner. She had maintained a few inches of distance between them and her body was unconsciously tilted slightly away from him. Chibs shifted besides her as Naomi leant one hand on Juice's shoulder for support as she craned down to see whatever he was pointing at on the screen. Her long hair was vivid against the black of his leather vest, her hand resting familiarly on his shoulder.

"Seems to me if all she wanted was a certain appendage, she'd have plenty of options." Gemma said wisely, indicating Half-Sack who was watching the two of them out of the corner of his eye.

Chibs shot her an inscrutable look, grunting in disinterest that didn't fool Gemma for a second. She turned when Clay called her name, squeezing Chibs's arm and heading towards Church. Chibs watched a little longer. Why should he care if she had a thing for Juice? Hadn't he told her himself? She'd been scared and out of sorts and he wasn't going to take advantage of her. So why wouldn't she talk to him anymore? And why did it bother him so much? Juice seemed to have found the information he was looking for because the printer started chugging out sheets of printed paper. He slid away from the desk and disappeared into the depths of the clubhouse. Naomi jumped down from the desk, turning to straighten it up.

"Why don't you talk to her?"

He scowled as Gemma crept up on him again, that knowing smug look that women always seemed to get at the worst possible times all over her face.

"Why?"

She cocked her head, her smirk only getting bigger.

"Because you've got a face like a smacked ass and you've been scowling at that pretty little thing for the past two days." Gemma said bluntly. "If you're going to keep sulking, find another pussy or get it out of your system."

Chibs watched her departing back sulkily. He was fine.

"What's with the long face?" Half-Sack asked as he passed by him, his arms full of laundry.

"Fuck off." Chibs snarled, shoving past the startled Prospect.

Naomi tensed when she heard him approach. He could almost see the muscles in her neck tightening and her shoulder blades draw together slightly.

"Hey." She said in a falsely bright voice without turning around.

"You okay?"

She nodded, shuffling a pile of folders together. Once the desk was spotless she didn't have an excuse to keep her back to him. She didn't quite meet his eye as she turned around though.

"Sure. No nightmares." She offered him a wavery smile.

So that's what it was. She was embarrassed about the whole thing, ashamed of what she'd almost done with him. He frowned, wondering why his stomach felt so knotted all of a sudden.

"So we're good." He stated gruffly and she blinked.

"Of course." She gave him a half-smile, shoving her hands into the pockets of her jeans. "Why wouldn't we be?"

He nodded, somehow feeling as if he'd just taken a giant step in the complete wrong direction.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: don't own don't sue

Lyrics at the beginning are from Outta My Head by Daughtry

Set after Season One, before Abel is kidnapped and Gemma is raped and Jax turns into a jerk and the whole club hates each other. Generally back when the show had fun and all the coolest characters were still alive. Because I can, it's called artistic license.

Learn My Lesson

Chapter Four

I thought it would be easy  
But it ain't for me  
It's kinda hard when you lay your heart  
On a one way street  
I really thought by now  
You woulda slipped my mind  
But the kind of love sent from above  
Is the killing kind  
Put my mind to rest and try to sleep it off  
It'll be alright when the morning comes  
Or am I wrong  
Ain't no doubt about it  
I can't live without it  
Tried to forget you  
But I can't get you outta my head  
Just when I think you're gone  
You come back and turn it on  
And just like a simple song  
I can't get you outta my head  
Well I saw you dancin'  
Dancin' in my dreams  
I saw your face and I can't erase  
All the things I've seen  
Even if I try  
'Cause Lord knows I've tried  
I can't escape  
And I can't shake the pain inside  
Crazy when she comes and crazy as she goes  
I'm holding out my hands with nothing left to show  
Guess that's the way it goes  
Ain't no doubt about it  
I can't live without it  
Tried to forget you  
But I can't get you outta my head  
Just when I think you're gone  
You come back and turn it on  
And just like a simple song  
I can't get you outta my head

Chibs threw an arm up to block out the bright sunlight, for a moment not knowing who he was or where he was. When his sluggish brain finally pieced together the complete car wreck of the night before, it occurred to him that he was in Jax's room which was why the sun was shooting arrows through his eyes into his brain. He tried to roll over but stopped short when he saw the arm slung across his chest. He frowned at the warm body besides him. He couldn't remember anything after they'd started celebrating a stroke of luck that afternoon, although it didn't take a genius to figure out what had happened between two naked people covered in sweat and god knows what else. He squinted at her. He'd seen her around a couple of times. She was a crow eater, she knew the score and she wasn't surprised when he climbed out of bed and disappeared into the shower without a word. When he came back into the room she was gone. He dragged on jeans and a shirt, feeling old and weary.

Gemma was sitting at the bar with Piney when he made his appearance. He glanced around automatically but Naomi was nowhere to be seen. Half-Sack was behind the bar and he poured him a coffee. He gulped some down, unutterably glad it was Sunday and he was free to sit around suffering all day. He could feel Gemma watching him.

"You stupid ass." She announced with a small dry laugh, lighting herself a cigarette then tossing the pack at him. "What are you, sixteen? Spend all night sulking and then go screw some loose pussy to make yourself feel better." She watched him light his cigarette resignedly. "Did it work?"

Right now he felt like he'd been run over by a truck several times, but that was the alcohol. Must be. He watched Half-Sack arrange a few bagels and two mugs of coffee on a tray.

"What's that for?"

He looked at Chibs nervously, eyes flickering to Gemma and back.

"It's for Naomi and Juice."

Chibs watched the Prospect's departing back narrowly until Gemma laughed.

"Relax. After you picked up that piece of trash she decided she'd had enough fun and Juice volunteered to rent her some movies." She leaned slightly to one side until her shoulder touched his. "But what do you care?"

"Juice volunteered?" He repeated in astonishment.

She shrugged. Chibs climbed down from the stool, heading back to the dorm rooms. Half-Sack had left the door half open on his way out and he paused. She was sprawled on her front across the bed, her legs swinging in the air and a cushion tucked under her chin. Juice was sitting on the floor leaning back against the bed munching the bagels. He laughed out loud at something on the TV and she glanced at him in amusement. Chibs scratched his chin wearily. She was young and innocent, compared to the girls around here, and in a few weeks she'd be gone. He needed to get over whatever this was, stop thinking about her as anything other than a shipment they were sitting on for Unser and shake off whatever was writhing in the pit of his stomach. As if she sensed him looking she glanced at the door. For a split second she looked right at him, her green eyes went very dark and her mouth twisted, then Juice asked her something and she turned away.

"That's his wife, jackass." She laughed, pushing his head playfully.

"So who's that fine blonde piece of ass?"

"Hey have some respect." She chastised sternly. "That's his sister in law. Tramp."

Juice snorted, hoovering up the last of the bagels. From the sounds of it, they were watching some cheap Spanish daytime TV.

"So if that's his wife and that's his sister-in-law. Who is that?"

"Aren't you even watching?"

"I don't speak Spanish." Juice protested. "They're just a lot of bimbos with big tits wailing."

She laughed.

"Story of your life, huh Juice?"

Chibs left them to it. He was getting too old for this.

* * *

"Where the hell's Juice?" Clay demanded exasperatedly.

"He went to get food." Half-Sack informed him cheerfully, scratching his blond mop absently. "Nice night?" Half-Sack gave Chibs a dirty smirk.

"Don't remember." He grunted truthfully, feeling unutterably sorry for himself.

From what he could remember the crow eater had definitely not been worth it, and from the way Naomi was ignoring him, he'd somehow managed to fuck things up there too. He frowned. Why should she be mad at him? She'd told him she didn't want him that way. Well she'd implied it anyway. Why should she care who he took to bed.

"What are we, a hotel?" Clay grumbled uncharitably. "Where is she?"

"Out back." Half-Sack couldn't quite keep the lecherous grin from his face. "Yoga."

"Yoga?" Clay repeated, scrunching his face up.

Half-Sack pointed and he crossed over to the window. She'd drawn quite a crowd despite setting up in a quiet corner away from the lot. He watched her flexing into various positions, then rapped loudly on the window until the crowd of gawping mechanics scattered like rats.

"Jesus Christ. Yoga. How long do we have to keep her under lock and key?"

"Another couple of weeks." Jax reminded him.

"Christ." He bumped Chibs's shoulder with his fist. "Make sure they keep their heads out of her pussy and her pants stay on."

"How'm I supposed to do that?"

"I don't give a shit, just make it happen."

Chibs watched Clay leave, wondering exactly how he was supposed to keep a garage full of horny guys away from someone who looked like Naomi when she wouldn't even talk to him. Especially when he was finding it increasingly difficult to keep his own anatomy in check whenever she was around.

Gemma grabbed Clay on his way to the office.

"What are you doing?" He stared at her. "Asking Chibs to keep that girl's legs closed."

"You want them open?"

She scoffed.

"You men think you got it all figured out when it comes to pussy. Jesus. You're as dumb as each other."

She forced him to turn around, to where Chibs was staring into the distance absently.

"Am I missing something, here?"

Gemma shook her head.

"You know what. I'm gonna let you figure it out." She gave him a dry smile.

"You're wrong, you know." He called after her departing back. "I don't got nothing figured out, baby."

"I know it." She waved without turning around and he grinned.

* * *

Juice had handed around the Chinese and checked in with Clay and was now tapping away at the computer looking for Clay's information while Naomi and Half-Sack kept him company. Tig sauntered in and pushed his glasses up into his hair, eyeing Naomi's legs propped up on the edge of Juice's desk.

"Something smells good."

"That's Half-Sack." Naomi piped up.

Tig side-stepped and sniffed Half-Sack liberally. Jax emerged from the dorm rooms and paused at the strange sight.

"Do I even want to know?" He asked as Naomi handed him a takeout box.

"No." She grinned, poking around in her box with her chopsticks. "Here." She put her box to one side and manoeuvred some of Juice's chow mein onto his chopsticks for him, feeding it into his mouth for him while his hands were busy on the computer keyboard.

Jax frowned, munching on a chunk of chicken.

"Hey darlin', can you get me a beer?"

Naomi rolled her eyes, climbing up out of her chair with a sigh.

"Hey I'll have one too!" Juice called.

"Do I look like a barmaid?"

"Maybe if you wore a shorter skirt and lower cut top?" Tig suggested around a mouthful of Half-Sack's takeaway.

"Bite me!" She tossed over her shoulder.

"Oooh where?"

Jax tapped Juice's shoulder pointedly and he swung around to look at him obediently.

"You heard Clay, right?" He said in an undertone. "She's off limits."

"Hey, I wasn't-" Juice protested, looking petrified.

"Just keep it that way, huh?"

Half-Sack coughed, unable to help himself, and Jax turned to look at him over his shoulder.

"I just thought… uh…" He scratched his chin uncomfortably until Jax told him to spit it out already. "Juice ain't the one you should be warning."

Juice goggled at them, completely nonplussed.

"You know something?" Jax asked and Half-Sack shook his head.

"No. Not for sure. Just, you know…"

Half-Sack guzzled down some beer, nervous from Jax's intent stare. Chibs and Bobby wandered in discussing something and Half-Sack jumped as if he'd been electrocuted at the sound of the Scot's voice. Jax's gaze flickered from Half-Sack to Chibs and back again, the cogs turning as he watched Chibs scan the room automatically.

"What's going on?" Juice asked Tig, turning to look at Chibs in confusion. They were still looking at each other in silence when Naomi came back with a handful of beers. She handed them out.

"Am I missing something?"

"Yeah. Not enough tit, see you just undo-"

Tig reached over towards the buttons on her shirt and she slapped his hand away.

"Hey!" Juice grinned around a mouthful of food when he saw Chibs and Bobby.

Chibs leant on the back of Half-Sack's chair. Naomi didn't even look up, she was staring so intently at the computer screen he was slightly concerned it might explode. As if she could read his mind she glanced up at him uncertainly, looked back at the screen, then looked at him again. Juice munched on, oblivious, while Tig and Jax watched with interest.

Naomi sat up straighter in her chair.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Chibs stared at her in surprise as she got up, moving away from them. The garage was closed up for the day, for once deserted and she led him into a private corner away from the doors. She leant back against one of the work tables and looked at her hands in her lap for a long moment. Eventually she seemed to gather her courage and made herself meet his eye.

"Okay. Things have gone weird, since that night." Her cheeks blazed pink. "I don't want it to be. I get it if you don't want to sleep with me. I pretty much made a fool of myself in a dozen different ways but I like you." Her cheeks flushed a vibrant red. "I mean, I liked the first few days when we could actually look each other in the eye. So, uh, can we just forget about the last few days?"

Chibs was stunned. Everything she'd just said was the complete opposite to what he'd expected her to say, what he'd been brooding over. He'd thought she was embarrassed that she'd hit on him, not embarrassed because he'd turned her down.

"Are you going to leave me hanging?" She laughed nervously, breaking into his train of thought. "You're killing me here."

She looked terrified, her big eyes very liquid and trusting and her hands twisting into knots in her lap. He moved towards her.

"Look, lass." She dropped her gaze as he drew closer. "We're good." She was staring intently at his chest. "You can look at me, I'm not gonna hurt you. You should know that by now."

Her brow furrowed.

"That's not it." She said quietly.

He took another step, tilting her chin up until she had to look at him. Her eyes were very dark. She took the hand that wasn't on her chin, splaying his fingers and laying his palm on her chest. He could feel the heat seeping through her t-shirt, and her heart jackhammering rapidly against his palm. It kicked against the sensitive skin of his palm and even as she held his hand there he could feel her heart-rate increasing.

"Get it?" She said in a halting voice.

He moved forwards, backing her up against the worktable until every inch of him was pressed against her, literally. If he hurt her when he kissed her, she didn't complain, even though her back was bent into the tools behind her. He shifted his hand from between them, pressing it against the small of her back. She recovered from her surprise quickly, pushing her hands into his hair and tugging until pleasant tingles shot through his scalp. She'd never kissed anyone with actual facial hair before and she found it pleasantly exciting. When being pressed backwards became too painful, she slid up onto the workbench. He rubbed the underside of her thighs, pressing tightly against her. Had there not been an array of tools and greasy engine parts spread across the bench, she was pretty sure she would have been horizontal by now. Only the dire need for oxygen drew them apart.

"I thought I was off limits." She managed to get out between gulps of air.

Chibs pulled back just enough to look at her flushed face in amusement.

"You know about that?"

She grinned, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck.

"Uh yeah. You guys are about as subtle as a price list in a brothel." She pressed a little tighter against him. "So I guess this is a bad idea, huh."

He kissed her again, harder and heavier until her blood was burning in her veins and she felt likely to burst into flame from the inside out. She didn't know why he did this to her, one look sending lightening through every inch of her body. He broke away abruptly.

"Yeah. Bad idea."

She kissed him again, her fingers teasing along the line of his jeans.

"How bad?" She murmured against his lips, finding his buckle and working it.

The question cleared his head of the lust fog although he couldn't quite seem to draw his mouth away from hers.

"That bad." She sighed, between kisses. "Okay." She reluctantly relinquished her hold on his belt. "As much as I want to." She let out a frustrated laugh, pressing her forehead into his neck. "And I want to. I also want you to stay alive, preferably in one piece."

She drew away, putting her hands on his chest to help her resolve when he stared at her with searing dark eyes.

"But you're going to have to let me down."

He looked as if were seriously considering it but eventually he sighed, hooking his hands under her thighs to lift her down. She yanked her clothes straight, re-tucking her shirt into her shorts with hands that weren't exactly steady. Chibs re-fastened his belt and straightened out his shirt, shoving his hands back through his hair to smooth it out somewhat. She touched her cheeks, the skin was reddened slightly from his beard and she grinned.

"Hey Chibs!" Jax's voice was suspicious and it echoed around the empty garage accusingly. "You out here?"

Chibs cursed, fluently, under his breath and Naomi frowned. If something went wrong with this babysitting thing, she knew she'd end up dumped in a motel with a bodyguard sitting outside the room. Pretty much prison. She glanced at Chibs's profile and her stomach squirmed. And she didn't want to leave. Not at all.

She turned to the workbench behind her, rapping her still bruised arm sharply. Chibs let out a startled grunt and grabbed for her but she shrugged him off, whacking her arm once more until the wound re-opened and blood seeped sluggishly down her arm. Jax rounded the corner to find Naomi sitting on the workbench and Chibs chewing her out quite aggressively. Blood was spattered on her bare thighs, dripping onto the ground and he darted over.

"Shit. What happened?"

Naomi held out her arm ruefully, the blood dark against her pale skin.

"We were talking, I caught my arm on here." She pointed at the smeared blood on the corner of the workbench, putting on her best 'aren't-I-stupid' expression.

"Talking, huh?"

Jax glanced from one to the other but the Scotsman's expression was impenetrable.

"Yeah, talking." Naomi glared at him reproachfully. "What? You think I'd put out on a greasy dirty workbench where anybody could walk in?" She didn't even need to fake looking affronted when he eyed her doubtfully. "I'm not one of those _girls _who hang around here looking for an excuse to take their bras off."

Jax held up a hand to stem the flow before she could work up into a decent rant.

"Are we done with the interrogation or am I going to have to bleed to death to prove it?"

Jax looked at her arm a little guiltily.

"Sure, why don't you get Half-Sack to look-"

"No thank you." Naomi said, wriggling along the bench until she could jump down one-handed. "I'll handle it myself. I wouldn't want anyone thinking I was taking advantage of poor Kip."

Chibs was somewhat impressed by the dignified way she straightened her spine, glared at Jax and swept out of the garage. He almost believed they had just been talking out here and he definitely knew better. He grabbed a rag and wiped the workbench down, more to stop Jax taking too much of a look at him than anything else.

"Something wrong, Jackie-boy?"

Jax shook his head after a moment of tense scrutiny.

"You get why she's off limits, right?"

Chibs frowned at the younger man.

"Aye. I wasn't born yesterday."

Jax sighed tiredly and rubbed his chin.

"Just a couple of weeks and she gets shipped back to wherever she came from. We're never gonna see her again." Jax clapped an arm around Chibs's shoulder, leading him towards the door. "'Course I can see why Clay's worried." He muttered as they re-entered the clubhouse to find Juice and Half-Sack flapping around her injured arm.

"Hey can you call these guys off?" She called over to Jax irritably. "They're acting like my grandma when I got my first period."

Jax laughed and Naomi took the opportunity to make a break for it towards the dorm rooms.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: don't own don't sue

Lyrics at the beginning are from Supernatural by Daughtry

Set after Season One, before Abel is kidnapped and Gemma is raped and Jax turns into a jerk and the whole club hates each other. Generally back when the show had fun and all the coolest characters were still alive. Because I can, it's called artistic license.

Learn My Lesson

Chapter Five

Lost from the start, I might as well be on the moon  
Much colder than I thought even in the month of June  
No communication makes ya feel so alone  
All we need is patience in which I've never really known  
But now it's too late, it's taking over me  
It feels so supernatural and I'm pulled the other way  
It's more than I can take and I'm losing hold of everything  
And no matter how I try you know I can't deny  
'Cause you feel so supernatural  
Every step I've taken has led me here to where you are  
But all that I believe in is keeping me from seeing too far  
Throwing out the questions, waiting for the right reply  
Looking for the answers, tell me will it be tonight?  
But now it's too late, it's taking over me  
It feels so supernatural and I'm pulled the other way  
It's more than I can take and I'm losing hold of everything  
When it's more than physical it's kind of hard to see beyond the glow  
And no matter how I try you know I can't deny  
'Cause you feel so supernatural  
Through the atmosphere I'm seeing  
Glimpses of the past I'm leaving  
Holding on for life as we collide  
But now it's too late, it's taking over me  
It feels so supernatural and I'm pulled the other way  
It's more than I can take and I'm losing hold of everything  
When it's more than physical it's kind of hard to see beyond the glow  
And no matter how I try you know I can't deny  
'Cause you feel so supernatural

It had been three very long days but Chibs had been a very good boy. He'd made sure that they were never alone together if possible and so far they'd managed to keep their hands to themselves. In public anyway. It was a game they were playing. He didn't know which of them had started it but neither of them could seem to help themselves. It was just little things. She'd be leaning against the bar with Juice and he'd squeeze past between her and the pool table, close enough for him to brush against her. She'd be at the bar helping Half-Sack inventory the liquor, she'd brush his fingers with hers as she handed him the clipboard to pass on to Gemma. She'd been sat at the bar with Piney, watching Juice and Happy playing pool and he'd had to lean past her over the bar to accept his beer from Half-Sack, mere millimetres away from her. He was in a constant state of hyper-awareness, no matter where she was in the building he knew exactly how far away she was like his body was completely attuned to hers. The little witch was driving him up the wall. And he'd recently discovered that croweaters held little to no appeal for him anymore. What had she done to him?

He was sitting with Bobby, pretending to watch Happy kick Half-Sack's ass at pool whilst really watching Naomi and Juice over Half-Sack's shoulder. They were sitting on top of the bar, her long legs crossed under her, teaching Juice how to win at BlackJack by counting the cards. Gemma had bought mass amounts of candy for Halloween and the two of them were slowly working their way through a huge fluorescent orange bowl of it. Right now she was working at a large multi-coloured lollipop. Chibs was trying his very hardest not to stare too blatantly but it was so difficult not to notice as she drew the enormous candy from her mouth, licked her lips and leant over towards Juice to point something out with his cards. Her t-shirt rode up the small of her back as she leant over and Half-Sack missed his shot, momentarily distracted by the glimpse of bare flesh.

Naomi rocked backwards again, laughing at Juice as he scratched his head and squinted at the cards in confusion. She explained something to him and he nodded, gathering the cards together and shuffling them. Chibs shifted in his seat, laughing when Opie did at something Tig had said without hearing a word of the conversation. She put the lollipop to her lips as she watched the deck rippling between Juice's ringed hands. Chibs licked his lips, watching as she ran the lollipop over her lips absently. She was doing it on purpose, had to be. She popped the candy into her mouth again, holding it between her lips as she took the deck from Juice to demonstrate something to him. She handed him back the deck, taking the lollipop from her mouth and grabbing her beer instead. Chibs watched as she swallowed, her long slender throat rolling enticingly as her muscles worked the liquid down her throat. A trickle escaped and trailed down her chin as she laughed at Juice's puzzled expression. She wiped it away with the back of her hand, the tip of her tongue emerging to recover the alcohol.

"You okay?" Opie asked, his brow creased with concern as he felt Chibs leaning forwards in his seat besides him.

"I'm good." He grunted, gulping down the rest of his lukewarm beer to prevent any further questions.

He saw Naomi climb down from the bar about an hour later and disappear towards the bathroom. He tried, he really did try, but he couldn't help himself. After a couple of interminably long minutes, he climbed to his feet. None of them paid him any notice as he weaved his way towards the dorm rooms. She was still in the bathroom, re-tying her bandage by the sink. She blinked in surprise when she saw his reflection in the mirror.

"Hey." She dropped her gaze back to her hand as she tied off the bandage. "I thought you weren't supposed to be alone with me. You know, appearances and all that."

"No."

She hesitated when she realised he was right behind her, so close she felt his words whisper along the back of her neck. She wasn't sure she could turn around and see him so close to her.

"I don't trust myself not to do something I shouldn't if we're alone."

She felt his hand slide along her waist, palm flat against her belly, and yank her abruptly backwards against him. Her startled gasp became a haltering breath. He curled the fingers of his free hand into her hair, fisting it together and yanking it to one side. His beard was rough against the tender skin of her neck, contrasting with surprisingly soft lips. He hooked a finger into the collar of her t-shirt, pulling it back and exposing the curve of her shoulder. She inhaled sharply when his teeth sank into her flesh. She knew he'd been watching her when she was sitting with Juice, and she knew she probably shouldn't have made such a show of the lollipop but she hadn't been able to resist.

He grunted, turning her around roughly. She let herself be pliant in his arms, the look flashing in his eyes quite blatantly telling her he was on the edge. They both froze at the sound of voices outside the door. Chibs made himself let her go, his breath ragged in his chest and his jeans achingly tight. She moved as far away from him as she could in the small room, putting her hands against the wall behind her as if she didn't trust them to behave. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly, her hair was falling over one shoulder and her t-shirt was pulled back from the shoulder he'd bitten.

Her gaze flickered down and a smirk coiled over her mouth. "You might want to sort that out."

Chibs didn't need to look down to know what she was talking about. She pulled the shoulder of her t-shirt over the bite mark and combed her fingers through her hair. The door swung open and a rather worse-for-the-wear Juice stumbled inside.

"Hey!"

He looked confused for a moment and Naomi felt her heart stuttering nervously against her ribs. Eventually his confused expression cleared and he grinned.

"Clay needs someone to go pick up Gemma while her car's in the shop." Juice frowned as his alcohol-addled brain tried to focus. "Apparently we're all too drunk to be trusted."

He guffawed as if the idea was ludicrous and Naomi giggled.

"I'll go." She offered. "I haven't been drinking or smoking for most of the afternoon."

Before Chibs could argue she'd breezed out of the room. Juice staggered over to the urinal and Chibs turned away, willing his body to cool down. He splashed some cold water on his hands and face.

"You okay, dude?" Juice squinted at him in the dim bathroom as he washed his hands at the sink besides him.

Chibs could feel the heat in his cheeks and he glared at Juice when the younger man squinted at him curiously.

"I don't blame ya, being alone in here with Naomi would get me all worked up too." Juice grinned and Chibs scowled at him.

"Jesus boy, you talk too much." He grumped, stalking out of the bathroom.

* * *

It was pretty hard to get lost in Charming, it was one of those cute little towns where everybody knew everybody else. Consequently, Naomi drew various curious glances as she commandeered the keys to the truck from Half-Sack and pulled out of the lot.

"Just, take it easy." Half-Sack said nervously as she stamped on the gas to speed through a changing light.

"It's a couple of blocks, Kip. Lighten up." Naomi said cheerfully, completely thrilled to be out in the real world for a change.

"Where are we going? The store is that way." Half-Sack's voice rose in alarm as she turned left and barrelled down a street, scattering a group of kids playing in the street.

"We're going to stop for ice cream. Chill out, I already texted Gemma and she's still shopping. We have time."

Half-Sack continued to chitter half-formed arguments as she swung into a parking space outside the ice cream parlour. She clambered down out of the cab of the truck, fanning herself at the sudden heat like a slap against her skin. She unbuttoned her shirt and tossed it back into the truck, her thin vest already sticking to her shoulder blades. Circling around the truck towards the door she paused at the sight of Half-Sack staring intently into the rearview mirror.

"Yes, you're still cute, now let's get some ice cream." She teased, tugging on his arm through the door he'd thrown open.

To her surprise he didn't even blush the way he usually did when she teased him, his brow remained furrowed and his mouth stretched in a grim frown. She felt unease prickle along her spine and she glanced over his shoulder through the back window. She couldn't see anything but the street they'd just driven down, a couple of cars parked up and an elderly couple walking arm in arm in the opposite direction.

"What's wrong?"

Half-Sack continued to stare into the mirror and fear started to pound behind Naomi's eyes. Her grip on his elbow must have tightened because he finally looked at her, a small tight smile creasing his face. He nudged her out of the way so he could climb down out of the truck.

"Seriously, what's wrong?"

He flashed her an unconvincing grin and gave her a little push towards the door of the ice cream parlour. She let him hustle her in through the door, still shooting dark looks over his shoulder.

"Are we being followed?" Naomi demanded in an undertone as they joined the ridiculously long queue.

The heatwave was suffocating and most of the town seemed to have surged into the various ice cream parlours and diners lining the street in search of relief from the late Saturday afternoon heat.

"No!" Half-Sack scoffed, glancing nervously at the big glass window behind them.

Naomi followed his gaze, straining onto her tiptoes to peer over a squat fat man's sweating head. The queue moved forwards and the fat man jostled her impatiently. She glared, dropping back down and moving forwards a few steps.

"Seriously." She hissed at Half-Sack. "You need to tell me-"

People were shooting them sideways glances and starting to mumble. Naomi folded her arms and glowered. Half-Sack shifted nervously from one foot to the other, not wanting to draw too much attention to them. He snaked an arm around her waist, tipping her against him. She looked at him in surprise.

"That black car." Naomi looked over his shoulder at the big black SUV idling across the street. "Pretty sure I saw it outside the garage this morning."

Naomi shivered as fear swooped through her stomach. Not being aware of what exactly the Sons were into, Naomi's only thought was that whoever was in that SUV was there to keep her from testifying. She turned away from the window. Apparently the Charming locals filling the diner had come to the conclusion that they were merely having a domestic and had immediately lost all interest in their discussion. Although when she glanced back again, the fat man behind them gave her a sly leering look and she loaded as much disgust into her glare as she could. Apparently in this town having a biker's arm around you automatically made you a whore.

"Do you think they're following us?" She asked quietly, feeling the sweat pouring down her back turn to ice despite the sticky heat of the day.

Half-Sack didn't reply. He glanced out of the window again. By the time they got to the counter Naomi had gone right off the tempting idea of ice cream. She just wanted to get back to the clubhouse and hide in Chibs's bed. The unenthusiastic teenager behind the counter scowled impatiently at her as she stared at the row of tubs glistening with melting ice cream through the glass.

"You want something, lady?" He asked grouchily, gesturing with the clean scooper.

Half-Sack snapped his gaze back from the window to the pimply teenager, narrowing his gaze warningly. Distracted as he was, he had every intention of keeping up the respect the Sons earned around here. The teenager flinched back a little at the sight of the patch on his leather vest. Prospect or not, he knew better than to disrespect anything associated with the Sons.

"Uh. Mint chocolate chip and chocolate please." Naomi requested distractedly.

When she'd been handed her cone they forced their way out of the crowd surging around the counter. Half-Sack took her hand and dragged her towards a recently vacated booth near the back of the diner.

"Stay here." He ordered, disappearing before she could argue.

Naomi licked unhappily at her rapidly melting ice cream, finding it difficult to swallow when her heart was thundering painfully against her lungs. She had finished her cone and Half-Sack still wasn't back. A family were standing awkwardly besides her and she relinquished the booth politely, moving a little deeper into the diner out of sight of the main window. She'd been feeling so safe with Chibs and Juice and the guys, she'd almost forgotten there was a price on her head. She heard the bathroom door open behind her and she obediently moved to one side out of their way. A moment of confusion flashed through her as she felt a hand on her waist, wondering if it was Half-Sack. When she felt the cold end of a gun nudging her ribs through the thin vest, she knew it wasn't. The family who'd taken her table were shooting nervous glances at her. She stared at the two children in horror, her brain unable to process what was happening. When the hand guided her backwards, she followed. She could feel his breath stirring her hair. They passed through an empty back office, the gun never leaving her ribs. She blinked when she realised the knife Juice had given her was in her hand, she didn't remember taking it out of the pocket of her shorts. She could see it out of the corner of her eye, the blade flashing in her wildly trembling hand. She fought to keep her grip on the wooden handle, her palm slippery with sweat.

He used one foot to kick open the back door and something told her that the bright sunlight searing into their eyes was the perfect distraction she needed. She jerked the knife backwards with as much force as she could muster, feeling it hit home. The startled grunt turned to a hiss of pain as the gun inched away from her back and the hand at her waist disappeared. She didn't look back, she just ran. She didn't know if he were shooting at her, she couldn't hear anything over the pounding of her blood in her ears, her breathing ragged in her chest and her booted feet thundering against the pavement. She hurtled around the side of the building and slammed into the side of the truck, her fingers wet with blood scrabbling at the handle.

"Naomi!"

She choked on her scream as a hand touched her shoulder. Half-Sack's eyes were huge in his face as he took in the bloodied knife still clutched tightly in her hand, spots of blood all over her arm. She felt a familiar touch on her arm and she managed to relax enough to see Chibs's scowl hovering behind Half-Sack.

"What happened?" He growled at the Prospect, his eyes flashing behind the dark glasses.

She felt someone take the knife from her hand, Jax's gruff voice ringing in her ears without a word of it sinking in. The adrenaline was fading and she felt nothing but nausea roiling in her stomach. She could have been killed. He'd been taking her out back to shoot her. She staggered to one side and vomited into the road, aware that they were watching her but too shaken to care. Someone handed her a scrunched up napkin and she wiped her mouth.

"You okay, lass?"

She nodded, lifting a hand to push her hair back from her face. She glimpsed the blood speckling her hand and her stomach heaved again. Jax and Bobby had apparently gone looking for her attacker and they returned mid-conversation. From what she could tell the guy had vanished. She shuddered at the thought of her attacker being free out there. Chibs touched the small of her back lightly and she straightened up.

Chibs studied her carefully. Her face was completely drained of all colour apart from two vivid bright spots of red burning on her cheekbones. Her eyes were glittering as if she had a fever and she couldn't seem to catch her breath. He was reminded vividly of the night she'd had her nightmare. She had the same panic-stricken terror flickering in her eyes as she did then. She was shaking wildly as he guided her into the truck.

"She's in shock." Chibs said in an undertone to Jax.

"Take her back to the clubhouse." Jax decided, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "We'll hunt out this guy. Need to know why he went for her."

"Could be whatever shit she brought with her." Bobby pointed out.

"Could be because she's been seen with a Son." Jax countered calmly, his blue eyed gaze drifting over to Chibs. "Drop her off, fill in Juice and get some mugshots going. See if she can ID him and make our job easier."

Chibs crossed back towards the truck, leaning in the still open door towards her. She jumped as if she were electrocuted when he touched her knee. She relaxed a fraction when she realised it was him.

"Come on, lass."

"Are we going home?" She asked quietly.

He grunted without replying, tugging her hand slightly until she slid out of the truck. Her knees seemed to buckle and she staggered a step. Her grip tightened on his hand as she steadied herself, following him towards his bike. Through the numb haze she'd fallen into she remembered the last time she'd ridden on his bike with him. The memory made her smile and some of the painful knot in her chest eased. She was still trembling slightly and her bare arms were covered in icy sweat so he handed her his cut. She blinked at it in surprise, letting him wrap it around her shoulders.

She recovered a little on the ride back, the shock wearing off to be replaced by anger. How dare he attack her in broad daylight, risking the lives of innocent people to keep his scumbag bosses out of prison. By the time he pulled up at the garage her blood was boiling. She leapt off the bike and raced past a startled Juice and Piney and into Chibs's dorm room.

* * *

Chibs knocked lightly on the closed door. He couldn't hear a sound from the other side of the wooden barrier. He half expected to hear her sobbing but an eerie silence greeted him. He pushed open the door. She was curled up on the bed, her back to the wall and her gaze fixed vacantly on the blank TV screen. She was huddled into his cut, her knees drawn up to her chin. He closed the door behind him, sitting down on the side of the bed.

"It's okay." He said gently.

"It's not." She snapped vehemently, turning towards him. "I almost died. I could have killed someone. That is not normal behaviour."

She swiped angrily at the tears trickling down her cheeks, averting her gaze as if embarrassed at the presence of her tears.

"Look, I'm sure whatever you guys get up to… this is everyday stuff for you… but I'm just a tutor. This is all a bit too much for me." She scrubbed her cheeks again, pouting her lips thoughtfully. "Can I have a hug?"

He gaped at her in amazement, completely thrown. She looked at him hopefully and he obediently opened his arms, still too puzzled to really think about it. She crawled towards him almost, but not quite, sliding into his lap. She coiled around him, his hands sliding under the cut to encircle her waist. She nestled her cheek against his throat and he felt the wet spots of her tears against his bare skin. Little tremors were running through her body and she wrapped her arms around him so tightly his ribs were hurting a little. He let her work it out of her system, pushing her hair back from her face and squeezing her tightly every time a particularly powerful shudder shook her. Eventually she moved back, putting a few inches of space between them.

"Sorry." She muttered embarrassedly, wiping her damp cheeks on her vest.

Chibs tried not to stare too openly at the smooth flat navel bared when she lifted the vest.

"I have blood on my hands."

He frowned, working out how best to reassure her that the scumbag who attacked her had gotten exactly what he deserved. He followed her gaze and found her staring at the dark stains marring her hand and arm, a splash still wet on her shorts.

"Oh, you meant literally."

She gave him a small half smile and he pushed her hair back behind her ear so he could see her properly.

"You have snot all over your face."

Her face split into a grin and she punched him in the chest with an outraged squeal. He chuckled, until she leaned forwards and pressed her lips against the scar on his cheek.

"I'm going to take a shower and then I'll help Juice find the guy."

She gave a small involuntary shudder and climbed up from the bed, peeling off his cut. He took it in silence.

"Hey." She touched his shoulder lightly. "Thanks."

Her lips brushed against his, exerting just enough pressure to make his pulse race. Her fingertips trailed along his collarbone as she pulled away and he caught her hand in his, squeezing her fingers briefly. He stared at the closed bathroom door in contemplative silence for a long time.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: don't own don't sue

Lyrics at the beginning are from Break the Spell by Daughtry

Set after Season One, before Abel is kidnapped and Gemma is raped and Jax turns into a jerk and the whole club hates each other. Generally back when the show had fun and all the coolest characters were still alive. Because I can, it's called artistic license.

Learn My Lesson

Chapter Six

Like a moth into a flame  
I'm hypnotized and like a stone  
I'm paralyzed 'cause I can't look away  
You found your way under my skin  
And I'm tryin' not to love you  
But I hate the way I keep on givin'  
Into you, like I always do, no matter how I try  
Or maybe could it be  
That you're the part of me  
That's keeping me alive?  
How am I supposed to break this spell you got me under  
I'm so addicted to the pain  
Got your poison running through my veins  
The way you pull me in  
The way you chew me up  
The way you spit me out  
I keep coming back, I can't get enough, I can't go without you  
I could fight you 'til the end but I will lose you if I win  
So I guess I'll just keep on givin' into you  
Like I always do, no matter how I try  
Or maybe could it be, that you're the part of me  
That's keeping me alive?  
How am I supposed to break this spell you got me under  
I'm so addicted to the pain  
Got your poison running through my veins  
The way you pull me in  
The way you chew me up  
The way you spit me out  
I keep coming back, I can't get enough, I can't go without you  
This feeling is far from sober  
It's beauty buried deep inside  
You're the only one who gets me high  
And I know it's far from over  
As you can see you're the part of me  
That's keeping me alive

"No that's not him." Naomi sighed in frustration, shoving her hair back out of her eyes irritably. "Look, I didn't even see the guy, just his reflection in the mirror when he came out of the bathroom."

Chibs frowned at her sympathetically. Her hair had dried almost immediately in the suffocating heatwave and it stood up all over her head like a fiery halo. She'd changed into one of his t-shirts and he was having increasing difficulty keeping his attention from her long bare legs despite the seriousness of the situation.

"Just a few more?" Juice turned his big liquid brown eyes on her entreatingly. "We have to find this dick and punish him for hurting you."

Chibs could practically see Naomi melting into a gooey puddle right before his eyes and he felt something burning hotly at the base of his stomach. Naomi smiled sweetly, leaning forwards and pressing a chaste kiss right on the tribal tattoo facing her. Juice flushed bright red.

"You're all so sweet." She sighed. "Okay, next lot."

Juice grinned, hitting a button until the next lot of mugshots filed onto the computer screen. They were still flicking through them when Half-Sack returned with Gemma in tow. Gemma cast a curious eye over Naomi on her way to the office but didn't comment. Half-Sack hurried over.

"Naomi! I'm so sorr-"

Naomi cut him off, coiling her arms around his neck.

"We're okay." She reassured him, squeezing him tightly.

The boiling point in Chibs's stomach was searing into his intestines now and he climbed to his feet. He could feel their eyes on him as he walked away. Jesus. He was sulking like a thirteen year old because she'd _hugged_ Half-Sack. Jesus H Christ. He felt completely ridiculous and yet he couldn't calm the fever roiling in his belly. He had wanted to strangle Half-Sack when they'd arrived at the truck to see her splattered with blood, whiter than a ghost and looking as if her bones had disappeared. He felt boiling anger surging through his chest, thinking about how afraid she must have been and wishing he could get his hands on that guy. He also felt a random surge of pride at how quickly she'd reacted, how smart she'd been to act when she did. He ran the edge of his thumb along the scar on his cheek absently.

"What're you doing out here?"

He blinked back to the present, surprised to find Naomi standing in front of him. He ignored her question.

"You shouldn't be outside." He said gruffly, shoving his glasses up his forehead so he could see her properly in the late afternoon sun.

She looked back at him calmly, the slowly setting sun glinting off her hair. The sun had brought out the freckles on her nose. He studied his shirt hanging from her slender shoulders to mid-thigh. It just now occurred to him that she was still fond of his shirts, despite the fact that she'd bought her own clothes. He felt sweat running down the sides of his t-shirt, trickling through his hair, and he wasn't entirely sure it was from the stifling heat. He was almost ashamed of himself, she'd been seconds away from death mere hours ago and yet his head was still filled with nasty images of what they could be doing. It was almost as if she could read the images flickering across his brain, her chest lifted as her breathing pace increased minutely and he saw the blood creep up her bare collarbone. His phone rang, breaking the pressure building between them. She turned away and disappeared back inside, the soft slap of her dusty espadrilles against the concrete echoing around the deserted garage.

"We found him." Jax's voice was harsh against his ear. "He's dead. She hit the femoral artery. He bled out a few blocks away."

Chibs felt his heart sink.

"We know who he belonged to?"

Jax made a noise at the back of his throat.

"None of the usual suspects so either there's a new player in town…" Jax trailed off significantly and Chibs turned to look through the window at Naomi and Juice vaguely. "The cops are crawling all over this place. Get rid of anything with blood on it."

"There's nothing to lead them to us."

"If he's from whoever's after Naomi, then Unser's going to know enough to come looking around here."

It didn't occur to either of them to explain what happened to the police and hope she'd be let off. Chibs hung up feeling even worse than before. Juice was beckoning to him through the dusty window and he crossed back into the marginally cooler clubhouse. Naomi was nowhere to be seen as he made his way over to Juice.

"What's up?"

"I've been checking Naomi's Facebook page every day, just in case someone tries to lure her out or something." Chibs frowned at the pink flush creeping over the younger man's cheeks. "I found this."

Juice pointed at a post on her wall, sent a few hours ago. It was only one word: SOS. Chibs indicated the little picture besides it and Juice clicked on it. It took them to another page. A boy with the same vivid hair as Naomi hanging out of a truck with a ridiculous expression on his face nestled besides the name Dexter Swift. With a sinking feeling, Chibs scrolled down to the boy's information section. Siblings: Naomi Swift. He looked at Juice, who looked right back at him miserably.

"The post was sent from a mobile device." Juice explained.

"So it might not even be him."

"If someone had his password, maybe." Juice answered reluctantly. "It was sent before the guy went for her."

Chibs filled Juice in on the guy's current deceased state as he worked his magic on the computer.

"We can't tell her." Chibs decided, scratching his chin and staring at the flashing images on the screen as Juice clacked away.

"Tell who what? You didn't scratch Gemma's car again did you?"

Juice jumped out of his chair in surprise, shooting an anguished look at Naomi. Naomi eyed him in amusement, her smile slipping a little when she saw the screen behind his shoulder.

"What's going on?"

"Nothin'." Chibs snapped, irritated that she'd managed to sneak up on them when he was trying to keep the nasty side of this business away from her. "Go back to your room."

She stared at him for a long moment, then her shoulders tilted back and she crossed her arms across her chest defiantly. Chibs could sense an argument brewing and Juice was staring at them both with huge eyes. Chibs weighed his options, eventually sighing and scrubbing his hands back through his hair unhappily.

"Your brother… would he turn you over to these guys?"

"Of course not." Naomi scoffed.

"Not even if they… uh…" Juice cast around for a polite word for 'torture', his face heating up as she stared at him uneasily.

"They wouldn't be able to."

Chibs snorted, not entirely convinced that the grinning boy on the screen would be able to withstand torture. She shifted from one foot to the other uneasily.

"No, I mean as soon as all this happened my dad packed him off to stay with one of his old friends in Alaska."

Chibs scowled and Juice's face creased in confusion. He couldn't seem to figure out how a father could go to such lengths to protect one of his children but not the other.

"Why are you asking about my brother?" Her voice rose in alarm and she made an involuntary movement towards the computer.

Chibs caught her back gently.

"What's going on?" She struggled to break his grip and he held her tighter to him. "Tell me!"

In the end she was wriggling and scratching so much that Chibs hauled her bodily into a chair and Juice showed her the post on her page. She was very still, staring intently at the tiny digital letters in silence for a long time. Then she held her hand out to Chibs.

"Give me a phone please." Chibs opened his mouth to argue but she cut him off with a dark look. "Either you give me a disposable phone or I go down the block and use the payphone."

He glared at her, she was trembling at the thought of venturing out alone after what had happened but she glared back defiantly. Juice looked from one to the other nervously. They looked as if they were trying to bore into each other's brains using just their eyes and the air between them was practically shimmering with tension.

"You can't ring his phone." Chibs said sternly, handing over the spare disposable they all kept on them at all times.

"Duh." She rolled her eyes, busy punching out numbers. The ringing echoed around the empty clubhouse. When the line was finally connected she broke out into what sounded like fluent Russian and then fell silent again as she waited. "Dex!"

Her face flushed with genuine pleasure, her eyes sparkling happily as she listened to her brother's voice. She listened intently and Chibs watched the different expressions flashing over her face.

"Please tell me you have not been in contact with these people." She ground out through clenched teeth. "So how would you know-" She broke off, chewing on her fingernail absently as she listened. "Oh. But they don't know where you are, right?" Relief crossed her face, so vivid that Chibs felt something tug at his heart strings. "Well I knew they were looking for me." She glanced up at Chibs automatically. "No, Dex, you can't check your Facebook. You're in hiding, stupid. The police only agreed to let you leave the State for your own protection. Dumbass." She seemed to be praying for patience as he twittered in her ear. "Dexter, if you so much as blink in that direction I will hunt you down and I will beat you." She announced flatly and Juice got the giggles. "What?" She frowned, looking confused. "Of course I'm alright. I'm being protected just fine. Don't listen to anyone who says otherwise. Look, unless you hear different from me personally, I'm still good." Her scowl cleared and she guffawed. "She did not!"

Chibs rolled his eyes as she started chattering giddily and she pouted.

"Look, Dex, I have to go. Shut up you brat. I know." Her cheeks turned pink. "I love you too."

She handed the phone back to Chibs, avoiding his gaze shyly. Her face contorted and Chibs reached for her automatically as she wobbled slightly on the spot. She lunged towards Juice, her fingers digging into his shoulders as she leaned over him to squint at the screen.

"That's him!"

Chibs started towards them hastily, leaning over Juice's other shoulder. Juice enlarged the mug shot on the screen and Naomi shrank back with a shudder.

"That's definitely him. Those nasty beady eyes."

She shivered again, turning away from the screen.

"Call Jax." Chibs muttered in an undertone to Juice. "Come on, lass."

He took Naomi's elbow, frowning when she jumped slightly at his unexpected touch. He didn't miss how shaky she was but she let him lead her back to the dorm room without removing her arm from his grip.

"Chibs?" He paused in the doorway, turning to look back at her sitting forlornly on the edge of the bed. "When you find him, what will you do?"

He stared at her and she blinked back at him trustingly. She'd already lost a little of the innocent sparkle she'd arrived with. He wasn't going to tell her the truth and ruin her life.

"Don't worry about it." His voice was gruffer than he'd intended but she didn't seem to take offense, merely looking back at him with big eyes.

"But…" Her forehead puckered and her lips creased as she puzzled over something. "He won't… come back?"

Chibs crossed the room in three long strides and put one hand on her shoulder, squeezing slightly.

"He's not coming back." He promised.

She nodded glumly. Juice hollered for Chibs like his pants were on fire and he flicked a glance at the empty doorway over his shoulder.

"Sounds like he needs you." Naomi's lips curled in amusement. "Or he's got his hand caught in the clamp again."

Chibs chuckled, patting her shoulder and squeezing lightly.

"Get some rest, lass."

* * *

Naomi tried to take his advice but she kept waking up with a racing heart and clammy palms expecting someone to spring out at her. The next time she woke up it was 3am and the room was dark. Feeling ridiculous, she checked the wardrobe for ghosts. As expected the room was deserted but she still couldn't sleep again. Feeling a chill she pulled on a hooded black jumper and crept out of the room. Even at this late hour there were usually a couple of people hanging around the clubhouse but the place was creepily deserted. She felt a momentary flash of panic. What if those men had found her and killed everyone looking for her?

Naomi scurried back into the corridor, too afraid to knock on any doors but pausing with bated breath listening for various snoring sounds. Her heart thudding like a jackhammer she paused outside the door she knew Jax had given to Chibs for her stay. She tapped lightly on the door, trying to hear over her thundering heart. After an interminably long time, the door creaked open a crack and she gasped at the glint of metal. Chibs hurriedly yanked the door open the rest of the way, tossing his gun onto Jax's chest of drawers.

"What's going on?" He demanded quietly, pulling her into the room.

She was momentarily distracted by the sight of him shirtless and rumpled from sleep.

"Nothing! I… I..." She broke off, stammering and blushing furiously.

Chibs had only been asleep a couple of hours and was caught in that twilight phase between rested and alert. She fidgeted nervously in the open doorway, the too-big hoody emphasising her long slender legs and delicate hands as she fiddled with the toggles at her throat. Her legs were bare and he wondered briefly whether she was naked under the hoody. She was saying something and he forced himself to concentrate. He moved further back into the room, drawing her with him gently. She closed the door behind her, following him back towards the bed. She sat cross-legged on one corner as he fumbled around in the dark looking for a shirt.

"I can't sleep." She said, peering past Chibs and out of the small window at a square patch of moonlight. "I keep waking up. Thinking someone's in my room."

Chibs frowned, giving up on his fruitless search for a shirt and sitting down opposite her on the bed.

"No one's going to hurt you while you're here."

She pushed her hair off her forehead, still looking out of the window.

"I can't stay here forever." She wound her hair into a rope and tucked it over one shoulder as she spoke, her brow creasing thoughtfully. "After I testify… I'll have a target on my back for the rest of my life."

Chibs studied her in silence, she was mostly in shadow except for the bright sparkle of her eyes and the curve of her cheek illuminated briefly by the shifting moonlight. She hung her head until her hair slipped over her shoulder. She was quiet for so long that he thought she might have fallen asleep. He felt sympathy coiling in the base of his throat. She was so young, so vibrant, making this sacrifice for her brother and she would only get punished for it. Anger flared in his gut. He was so angry at those jackass detectives, hanging their entire case on her testimony and blackmailing her into giving it. They knew as well as she did that the kind of people they were dealing with would kill her no matter who was behind bars. They were hanging her out to dry to save their own hides and if they were here right now he'd have laid them out one at a time.

Some of his thoughts must have shown on his face because she was looking at him strangely. She looked down at her hands in her lap again.

"I'm sorry I woke you up. I just had a bad feeling. I was worried."

He cocked his head curiously, reaching out to touch her cheek. He could feel the heat emanating from her blushing cheek.

"About what, lass?"

She tilted her face back towards him.

"I thought they'd come for me. That you were all gone." She pushed away from him and he realised his fingers were wet from her tears. "I'm sorry."

"Stop apologising." He said, a little more abruptly than he'd planned. "You've nothing to apologise for." He continued, a little more gently.

"Can I stay here?"

He frowned at the sudden question. She was hanging her head again, her hair a curtain between them. She seemed to take his silence as rejection.

"Please." She whispered. "I won't bother you. I just can't..." Her voice cracked a little.

He realised she didn't want to spend the night on her own. He took a deep breath.

"Okay."

She smiled although he couldn't see it.

"Thank you."

"Can we go to sleep now?" He grumbled and she laughed sheepishly.

She crawled across the bed and slid under the sheets he'd abandoned, still slightly warm from his body heat. After a long moment she turned back to him.

"Are you getting in?"

He studied her thoughtfully. Her hair was dark against the pale sheets and her eyes glittered strangely. She couldn't think of a reasonable excuse not to accept her invitation as she patted the sheets besides her. If she wasn't squeamish about sharing a bed with him then he shouldn't be. He was a grown man. He slipped in besides her, her body spreading heat towards him in the darkness. He could smell her hair, her breath warm against his cheek. That's the problem, he thought darkly, I'm a grown man and she's… he took a deep steadying breath, willing himself to behave.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: don't own don't sue

Lyrics at the beginning are from 'Feels Like Tonight' by Daughtry

Set after Season One, before Abel is kidnapped and Gemma is raped and Jax turns into a jerk and the whole club hates each other. Generally back when the show had fun and all the coolest characters were still alive. Because I can, it's called artistic license.

**Learn My Lesson**

**Chapter Seven**

You, you got me  
Thinking it'll be alright  
You, you told me  
Come and take a look inside  
You, believed me, every single lie  
But I, I failed you this time  
And it feels like tonight  
I can't believe I'm broken inside  
Can't you see that there's nothing that I wanna do  
But try to make it up to you  
And it feels like tonight, tonight  
I was waiting for the day you'd come around  
I was chasing, but nothing was all I found  
From the moment you came into my life  
You showed me what's right  
And it feels like tonight  
I can't believe I'm broken inside  
Can't you see that there's nothing that I wanna do_  
_But try to make it up to you  
And it feels like tonight  
I never felt like this before  
Just when I leave, I'm back for more  
Nothing else here seems to matter  
In these ever changing days  
You're the one thing that remains  
I could stay like this forever  
And it feels like tonight  
I can't believe I'm broken inside  
Can't you see that there's nothing that I wanna do  
But try to make it up to you  
And it feels like tonight, tonight

"Chibs?"

Chibs grunted to show he was listening.

"I can't sleep."

She'd been tossing and turning for the past hour, so this was not news to him. He felt the bed dip as she rolled over again, her warm breath fanning across his cheek and her eyes sparkling in the dark room.

"You don't have to be scared."

"I'm not." He could practically hear her pursing her lips thoughtfully. "Not for myself anyway." She sighed. "I'm scared for my brother. He doesn't exactly have a good grasp of common sense."

"He's a kid." Chibs suggested.

"He's an idiot." Naomi corrected exasperatedly.

Chibs froze when he felt one of her small delicate hands creeping across his bare chest beneath the sheets. She'd crept even closer; he could feel the length of one bare thigh pressed against his leg through his thin sweat pants, her body heat burning against his arm.

"What're you doing?" He demanded gruffly, his body so tense it was painful.

"I'm living with a death sentence. I'm taking risks." She murmured, her breath warm against his ear and her lips just brushing the swell of his earlobe.

Her fingers danced along the planes of his chest, caressing the tiny road of dark hair descending from his bellybutton. Chibs grabbed her hand before it could disappear any further south and he lost his resolve. She sighed and rolled onto her back. He breathed a little easier at the distance between them, not seeming to realise that her hand was still caught in his and lying on his chest.

"You're too decent." She scolded half-heartedly. "I feel very respected."

Chibs chuckled, scrubbing his free hand over his face tiredly.

"Lady, if I had the chance I'd be all over you." He reassured her.

In one swift movement she whipped up the sheet, threw one leg over both of his and reared up above him.

"Here's your chance." She put a hand on either side of the pillow under his head, leaning over him until her hair slipped over her shoulder in a wave. "What're you going to do about it?"

For a moment he stared at her, his brain working hard to keep him on track but unfortunately it was losing the battle for blood flow. He flipped her over, pinning her arms down against the mattress. There were only millimetres between them, his beard brushing against her chin, her body squashed deliciously against his.

"Chibs! Hey Chibs!"

Her knees squeezed his sides as she jumped in surprise and he grunted. Juice was hammering away at the door and he hurriedly staggered out from under the sheets before he flung the door open. Juice looked sleepy but wired and his shirt was buttoned up wrong as Chibs squinted at him irritably.

"Clay wants us at the table."

Chibs frowned, shoving his hair off his forehead impatiently.

"What's happened?"

Juice shrugged, already on his way back down the hallway. Chibs shut the door as Naomi flicked on the lamp by the bed. She was sitting up, her hair tumbling over her shoulders and her knees drawn up to her chin under the thin sheets. She looked at him with huge eyes.

"What's going on?"

He shook his head, crossing the room to pull on his discarded hoody.

"Can't be anything good at this time of the night."

He sat down on the edge of the bed, scrubbing his hands over his face.

"Don't worry, it won't have anythin' to do with you and your trouble."

She nodded without replying. He tugged on his boots and tucked his gun into his jeans.

"Just… be careful."

He glanced at her over his shoulder, part of him wanting to laugh at the idea and the other half trying to remember the last time someone had said that to him and really meant it. He pushed a lock of her hair back behind her ear, brushing his knuckles against her cheek. She peered at him with big liquid trusting eyes and he felt something clench in his gut. He leaned over and her lips parted beneath his without question. She pulled away and pressed her forehead against his neck, one hand playing agitatedly with the toggles on his hoody.

"Please don't die." She said earnestly and his face flickered into a half smile.

"Go to sleep, lass."

* * *

It was hours later when the guys got back to the clubhouse. Noami heard the bikes and the distant rumble of their voices for a while before the place fell into a drowsy silence again. She'd been awake for most of the night, falling into vague slumber and then snapping awake in a panic expecting someone to be at the end of the bed with a gun. She waited for a while but when it was obvious Chibs wasn't returning immediately, and she was reassured of his safety by the familiar burr of his accent through the thin walls, exhaustion took over.

She was deep asleep when Chibs finally made it back to the room. He'd showered in his own room, scrubbing away the blood and filth from another night's work and digging out a clean pair of sweats. He eyed his own bed for a long moment, it looked cold and lonely in the dark bare room. The sheet was still folded over where Naomi had thrown it back. Her stuff was everywhere, her discarded clothes draped on the chair, a damp towel from her shower hanging on the open wardrobe door and the few lotions she'd managed to convince Half-Sack to get her spread across the desk by the window. Chibs ran a hand through his wet hair thoughtfully. On the one hand the two of them emerging from separate rooms would save a lot of aggravation, on the other hand if anyone saw her leaving Jax's room they'd want to know why they'd switched in the middle of the night when half a dozen of the guys had seen them each go into their separate rooms a few hours before. Shit he was too tired for mind games. He pulled his door closed, crossing over to Jax's room.

She was coiled on her side in the middle of the bed, her hair a dark splash against the pillow and her eyelashes fluttering slightly as she dreamt. He climbed under the sheets, the warmth from her bodyheat seeping through the thin material. She made a small noise in her sleep, snuggling a little closer. Chilled from his shower he let her press against his arm like a soft sweet-smelling heater.

When she woke up a few hours later, the clubhouse was still silent and Chibs was sleeping peacefully besides her. She lay quietly for a while, soaking up the peace and the feeling of being safe and warm, something she didn't take for granted anymore. She'd expected Chibs to snore but he slept in absolute silence, only making a noise when he changed positions. His steady even breathing was relaxing, overlaying the thumping of his heartbeat in the quiet room. She slipped out of the bed as quietly as she could to let him sleep. The sheet had slipped down and, as she reached to pull it back up, she frowned. From the fresh bruises she could make out it had been a rough night. She managed to ease the door open a crack without making too much noise, scanning the hallway. She darted out of the room and back into her own, pulling on an oversized hoody over her pyjamas before she braved the clubhouse.

The Prospect was sweeping up the main area in a half-hearted fashion, looking ready to fall asleep where he was standing. She crossed over towards him, avoiding the small piles of what looked like a mixture of gravel and concrete in her bare feet. She put her arm around his waist and rested her head on his arm.

"Go to bed Half-Sack. You can't have had more than an hour or two of sleep."

He tried to protest but even that took too much energy and she took the broom from him with hardly any struggle on his part.

"If you won't go to bed, at least lie down." She pointed to the couch and put on her sternest expression, the one she reserved for Dex at his stupidest. When he still looked hesitant, she drew away, put her hands on her hips and glared. "Don't make me lay you out like a bitch, because I will."

He snorted and she poked him in the shoulder with the broom.

"Go. Now."

He agreed to sit down for a minute, barely making it onto the couch before he passed out and she grinned. It was already stiflingly hot despite it being the early hours of the morning and she pushed open the door to let in whatever breeze there was while she swept and straightened up. It was comforting; the rhythmic peaceful motions as she swept the clubhouse, restocked the shelves and piled the glasses into the dishwasher. Juice had given her an old iPod he'd restored and filled with music and she was so busy rocking away to it, she didn't even notice Juice staggering in, yawning widely with big bags of breakfast under his arm. He grinned at the sight of her standing on a stool dusting down the expensive bottles on the top shelf. She was happily warbling along to Don't Fear the Reaper when she caught sight of him, uttered a stifled shriek and fell off the stool. Juice just managed to catch her in a tangle of ungainly limbs, taking an elbow to the ribs for his trouble.

"It's too early for that shit." Tig muttered, shuffling in through the propped open door and squinting at Juice and Naomi, still all tangled up together.

There seemed to have been some sort of internal alarm clock at work because the clubhouse was filling up all of a sudden. Bobby, Piney and Jax fell on the food Juice had supplied after muttering tired good mornings. Chibs sat down at the bar besides them, his brows drawing down in a frown at the sight of Naomi still in Juice's arms. Naomi flushed pink and Juice hurriedly put her down with a guilty look. Tig had wandered over to the sofa where Half-Sack was still sleeping, the sound of his zipper making Naomi glare.

"What the hell are you doing?" Jax asked, sounding half amused and half concerned.

"Waking up the Prospect."

"Leave him alone." Naomi laughed, grabbing Tig's arm before he could completely unbuckle and probably traumatise Half-Sack for life, and dragging him back towards the bar. "So what do you guys do around here on a Saturday?"

She eyed the various fresh cuts and bruises they were all displaying doubtfully. Juice groaned as he slid onto a stool besides Chibs, rubbing his ribs where Naomi's elbow had caught a fresh bruise.

"Sorry." Naomi said guiltily. "Maybe if you didn't sneak up on innocent girls, though." Tig snorted into his food and caught Juice in a headlock. "Thanks for the catch." She patted Juice on the head since he was busy choking under Tig's arm.

She jumped down off her stool and left them to their breakfast and the confidential talk that would no-doubt follow. She slipped out of the door, squinting at the already bright sun. She peered around the lot. For once it was deserted, just rows of bikes glinting and half worked on cars covered by tarps. She munched on a muffin idly, drawing patterns in the dust with her shoe.

"You need to stop sneaking off, lass."

She shrugged at Chibs as he rounded the corner, leaning against the wall besides her and puffing steadily on a cigarette.

"I need to get the hell out of here."

He pushed his glasses up into his hair and slid a sideways glance at her.

"Gonna make a run for it?"

She laughed, tilting her head back against the wall and squinting at the blue sky.

"I can't stay in here for another full day, I'm going stir crazy." She cocked her head towards him, he was studying her thoughtfully. "I'm serious. Another day reading Harley manuals, watching crappy Spanish TV and avoiding groping hands…" She gave an exasperated sigh and tugged at her hair. "I swear to god, I will steal a bike if I have to." Her lips curled into a grin and Chibs lifted up his eyebrows. "Then I won't have to wait for them to execute me, huh?"

Chibs chuckled, flicking the butt of his cigarette into the empty lot and she sighed.

"I mean it. I just need out for a few hours. I've been shuttled from interview room to safehouse and back for weeks. I just want to catch my breath. Come on, a few hours." She wheedled, frowning when he still looked doubtful. "Unless you want to tie me up, you really don't have much choice."

He looked her up and down and she grinned at him from under her lashes. He chuffed irritably, pushing away from the wall and turning one shoulder towards her.

"Alright. Alright already. No need to pull out the handcuffs."

She scoffed, leaning towards him until he could feel her bodyheat like a wave rippling against his bare skin.

"Handcuffs? Please. I've been able to get out of handcuffs since I was thirteen." She tilted her chin and smiled at him from under her lashes. "I'll show you sometime."

Chibs watched her sashaying away, his brain turning over what could have happened last night. He cursed under his breath and lit another cigarette with a non-too-steady hand.

* * *

"Road trip, huh?"

Chibs glared at Half-Sack, wanting nothing more than to smack that smug smirk off his face. Half-Sack's grin only got wider. Juice looked up from his laptop and grinned.

"Taking her to the zoo?" Jax winked, lighting up at the bar besides Piney.

"Why not? I love the zoo." Naomi dead-panned, emerging from the dorms behind Juice, leaning one elbow on his shoulder and meeting Jax's amused gaze.

Half-Sack opened his mouth to reply, then blinked rapidly and closed his mouth again. They stared at her, Juice had flushed bright red and hurriedly averted his eyes and even Jax ran an approving eye over her. She rolled her eyes.

"You've never seen a girl in a bikini before? I thought you guys were dripping in pussy around here."

Half-Sack nearly fell over, staring at her in amazement. Juice was looking at the keyboard with a confused expression on his face, as if he'd just heard a nun cussing… or had an anvil dropped on his head.

"Such prudes." She mocked, pulling on one of Chibs's t-shirts she'd slung over her shoulder and knotting it at her navel. "Better?" She kissed one of Juice's tribal tattoos, swatted Half-Sack on the butt and pranced across the clubhouse towards Chibs. Tig whistled on his way past them, stopping to lower his shades and give her a thorough onceover. Naomi could feel his gaze crawling from her booted feet, over her bare legs in the denim cutoffs and bare navel under the knotted shirt, her bright blue bikini shining through the thin white material.

"Seriously? Enough with the gawping here. You guys have pole dancers as Sunday afternoon entertainment." She could feel heat creeping up her collarbone. "What's so fascinating?"

Tig shook his head, wiping a hand over his mouth and muttering as he walked away.

* * *

"You didn't really have to bring me to the zoo." Naomi laughed as Chibs paid their entry fees and ushered her inside the turnstiles.

"Good a place as any."

A group of kids stopped dead in the middle of the path and gaped at them with their mouths open. Two middle aged mothers scurried forwards and herded them away, shooting looks over their shoulders and whispering. Naomi stuck her tongue out at their retreating backs.

"They think I'm a dirty old man." Chibs muttered in her ear, lowering his glasses slightly and waving with a smile.

"Well that's a shame; you could have at least earned that title before being judged by it."

She leaned in and pressed her nose against his neck, her lips just grazing his skin.

"Behave." He warned, although he didn't go quite so far as removing the hand she'd slipped inside his shirt.

"Fine." She gave a martyred sigh.

She drew him along the path, her fingers crooking around his lightly. They stayed linked as they wandered, milling around with the crowds outside each of the enclosures. It was only a small zoo and it was rammed full of people on a hot Saturday morning, after an hour they'd completed a full circuit and the sun was burning her fair skin. They'd taken refuge on a picnic bench near the eating area, a huge white and blue striped umbrella shading them from the punishing glare.

"Want some?" She asked, aiming her ice cream towards him.

He lifted his eyebrows at her and she grinned, scooping some ice cream onto her finger and sticking it into her mouth. She couldn't see his eyes because of the dark lenses but she could sense his gaze fix onto her lips, could feel their pressure like a caress.

"Thanks." She hurriedly looked away, staring across at the penguin enclosure on the other side of the path. "For doing this." She clarified, leaning forwards and propping her elbows on her knees. "I figure hanging out at the zoo isn't exactly your idea of a fun day off."

She was wearing his Samcro hat against the sun and her long hair wound back in a complicated plait down her back was vivid against the black. He could see the curve of her cheek, feathery lashes casting shadows on her cheekbone.

"It's different." He murmured and she glanced at him over her shoulder. "Now gimme some of that."

She laughed and offered him the cone, he stuck his finger into the ice cream and transferred it into his mouth. His lips twisted, he narrowed his eyes at her and she laughed.

"Mother of Christ… what the hell is that?"

She sucked another glob of ice cream off her finger, smacking her lips appreciatively.

"Guava and pineapple."

His brow furrowed and she laughed again, nudging him with her shoulder playfully.

"I can buy you some vanilla. Or chocolate, if that's what you prefer."

She turned away and her shoulders tensed up. Chibs studied her back, the ink he still hadn't deciphered yet barely visible through the thin shirt. There was something underneath her words, he had the feeling she wasn't just talking about ice cream anymore.

"Juice told me about your wife… and your daughter." She said quietly, working her way slowly through the remaining ice cream.

"Juice talks too much." Chibs grumbled, looking away from her and at the sea lion enclosure to their right instead.

"That he does." She agreed, screwing up the empty napkin from her cone into a ball. "His heart's in the right place."

Chibs didn't answer, lighting up a cigarette and ignoring the glower from a nearby old biddy as he inhaled and blew out a plume of smoke into the air above them. He handed it to her and she took it without looking at him.

"Do you ever see them?"

He shook his head a fraction, taking the cigarette back.

"It's complicated." He said gruffly; his accent always came on thicker when he was agitated.

"Is that why you won't…" She broke off when he glanced at her, her cheeks bright pink. "Nevermind." She muttered embarrassedly.

He turned towards her on the table-top, shoving his glasses up into his hair so he could look at her. She was gnawing on her bottom lip, fiddling convulsively with the balled up napkin in her lap. She didn't know why she'd brought it up; he had no trouble nailing bimbo croweaters and sweetbutts left and right, she was just grasping at straws and humiliating herself to think anything else.

"It's complicated." He repeated.

She shrugged, pushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear out of the way.

"I get it."

She avoided his eye, the tips of her ears were red and he knew it wasn't from the sun. He tugged on the end of her plait until she turned towards him, a reluctant grin spreading over her face.

"Fiona is my past. The future..." He broke off, his lips pursing slightly as his thoughts scrambled to make sense. It was so impossible to put into words what he felt about his wife and their mixed up past. It was never going to be more than the past, even if everything worked out they'd never come to Charming and he could never go back to Ireland.

"I get it." She said again and he tugged on her plait until she grinned. "It's complicated."

He wound her plait around his fist, drawing her closer on the small surface of the bench. He could smell the sunshine emanating off of her like she'd soaked it up, could taste the tangy residue of the ice cream on her tongue. She coiled her hand into his hair to pull him closer, breathing in the scent of leather, gun oil and his unique spicy scent. She caught his lower lip in her teeth and pulled on it lightly until he growled. They were so deeply engrossed it took them a while to realise there was someone standing directly besides them, fake coughing for all he was worth. They didn't notice until he put his hand on Naomi's shoulder. She jumped, jerking away from Chibs so fast she nearly fell off the table.

The guy was wearing the beige shirt and shorts uniform of the zoo staff. Chibs eyed him challengingly, annoyed at the interruption.

"Look, you're making kind of a scene and-"

"You wanna take your hands off the lady?" Chibs ordered, injecting just enough danger into his voice to draw attention to the cut.

The guy let go of Naomi's shoulder as if it had burned him, scooting back a few steps for good measure. People were gawping at them, a group of teenage girls by the penguin pool were giggling behind their hands and the old biddy from earlier was looking down her nose at them.

"We were kissing." Naomi hissed snootily. "It's not like we're doing crack or anything."

The guy went white and the group of middle aged women haranguing a selection of small children nearby broke into outraged cackling and offended flutterings.

"Come on, darlin'." Chibs climbed off the table, taking Naomi's hands and helping her jump down.

"We should probably get back anyway, it's that party thing tonight." Naomi stretched up on her tiptoes, working out the crimp in her back from sitting on that table.

Chibs brushed his palm along her bare navel, exposed as she stretched. He tried to draw her closer but she dodged out of his way, reminding him that this party was one of Gemma's projects and they'd both be strung up if they weren't there on time.

"These women are gonna kill me." He muttered as she dragged him through the crowds surging towards the next sea lion show behind them.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: don't own don't sue

Lyrics at the beginning are from We're Not Gonna Fall by Daughtry

Set after Season One, before Abel is kidnapped and Gemma is raped and Jax turns into a jerk and the whole club hates each other. Generally back when the show had fun and all the coolest characters were still alive. Because I can, it's called artistic license.

**Learn My Lesson**

**Chapter Eight**

It's a world full of heartbreak drive bys  
We've seen our fair share of hard nights  
Looked right into the face of a goodbye  
While we walked on the edge of the dark side  
After all this time  
We're not gonna fall now  
We're not gonna bleed out  
Never gonna break down  
No  
'Cause when these four walls try to cave in  
And the ground underneath starts shaking  
It's the hope in your eyes that I cling to  
And I hope to god it never leaves you  
After all this time  
We're not gonna fall now  
We're not gonna bleed out  
Never gonna break down  
No  
Even if they come for us  
Everything, it turned to dust  
You and I are never going down  
The bullets and the bombs of love  
Go ahead and fire at us  
We will never give it up  
We're not gonna fall now  
We're not gonna bleed out  
Never gonna break down  
No  
We're not gonna fall now  
We're not gonna bleed out  
Never gonna break down

"Okay seriously, stop with the staring." Naomi snapped as she lost her concentration again and jabbed herself with the eyeliner.

Juice flushed and turned away. He'd managed to scrabble together some makeup for her, digging up what the croweaters and sweetbutts had left hanging around over the years. He was sitting on the chair by the door watching her apply it, amused and slightly baffled by the methodical way she worked through what he'd given her. She was sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the open wardrobe door so she could see herself in the mirror tacked inside it. She'd used the kohl pencil to outline her eyes until they seemed to jump off her face, layered on some mascara and painted her lips a glistening soft pink colour that drew attention to her plump lower lip. She dabbed the corners of her mouth with a piece of tissue and pouted at her reflection.

"So?" She asked Juice when she'd climbed back to her feet. "How do I look?"

Juice wolf whistled and she laughed, tossing a makeup smeared tissue at him. She'd managed to get Half-Sack to smuggle her in a dress she'd seen in a store window on her way back from the zoo. It was a clinging sleeveless t-shirt dress that fell to mid-thigh in a shocking yellow colour that clashed wonderfully with her hair. It cut away at the back in a diamond shape exposing most of her spine and the barest hint of ink under the two panels covering her shoulderblades. She'd braided her hair back in a complicated half French half fish braid, layered around her head emphasising the colour of her hair, and left the ponytail sleek and loose from the crown of her head. In the colourful dress, her battered Converse and with her hair pulled back exposing her face she was going to stand out a mile amongst the croweaters and strippers in their leather, skimpy dresses, stilettos and overly made up faces.

She shook her head embarrassedly at his obvious appreciation, leaning in to kiss his cheek and murmuring he was a sweetheart. For a brief minute Juice seriously considered turning his head and catching that kiss, but he pushed the thought away and accepted the brief flush of pressure on his cheek with grace. It would be wrong to take advantage when she trusted him so much. And Chibs would probably gut him if he found out anyway. She squinted at him as if she could read his mind, her vivid eyes flickering over his face. He shuffled awkwardly and she sighed, feeling her cheeks burning.

"Hey."

They both turned to look at Chibs leaning against the doorway, his dark eyes flickering between the two of them. Juice stepped away from her, scurrying for the door as if he feared for his life. Naomi laughed and shook her head affectionately at his retreating back. Chibs stepped into the room, lazily surveying her from head to toe with a long heated lingering look that made her toes curl. He looked entirely delectable in his jeans, boots, a black shirt and his cut, his long figure framed in the doorway emphasising every inch of his body. For once he was without his shades.

"Ya missing one hell of a party, lass."

She grinned.

"They always are." She winked, swinging one hip out until the fabric of her dress pulled tight against her navel.

His eyes darkened, following the crease of her dress and she swallowed against her suddenly dry mouth. There was an almighty bang that shook the walls and the two of them exchanged a startled glance and darted into the clubhouse. The pool table was on its side, Happy and Tig brawling happily, hollering incoherently at each other. Naomi rolled her eyes, slipping away from Chibs's side before she did something she'd regret. She stepped over the pool balls spinning wildly across the polished floor, ducking past the stripper pole with a brief wave at Bobby and Gemma on her way out.

She managed to spend most of the night with Juice, Half-Sack and Piney drinking, playing poker and dancing terribly with Half-Sack. She could feel Chibs's eyes on her every now and then, usually when she was switching groups. He was supposed to be her bodyguard after all. The party was the aftermath of some fundraiser Gemma had organised, the R rated reward for playing nice with the civilians all day and the guys were taking full advantage. It was even rowdier than usual. After a couple of hours of drinking Bobby, Jax and Opie under the table, Naomi retreated back into the clubhouse for a breather. The place was almost deserted, the unnatural heatwave keeping them all outside in the hopes of a cooler night or a break in the weather. She walked past Tig wrapped around a croweater on top of the once again upright pool table, Half-Sack being molested by a much older blonde woman over by the stripper pole and a couple of passed out lightweights who couldn't take the combination of heat and alcohol.

She tiptoed over snoring Sons and a sweetbutt sprawled on her back with her mouth wide open to get to the bathroom. Most of the party used the toilets attached to the garage so the clubhouse one was empty and she had time to straighten out her hair and check her makeup, enjoying the peace. She was on her way back when a hand grabbed her, an arm coiling around her waist and lifting her off her feet. She'd just drawn in a deep breath to scream when Chibs's familiar scent seeped into her and she relaxed. Well more accurately, she melted.

"Why have you been avoiding me all night?" She asked, a little breathlessly.

Chibs didn't reply, his lips were busy brushing along the back of her neck, his whiskers causing a delicious friction against the delicate skin. His warm breath was deliciously sensuous, lifting the hairs on her skin and making her heart leap against her rib cage. His hands had crept inside the gaps in the back of her dress, rough palms and fingertips grazing along her bare skin. She knew why he'd kept away. Clay had taken Chibs to one side when they'd got back from the zoo and whatever had been said involved a lot of frowning and serious looks. When it was over, Clay had given her an impatient look and Chibs had looked simply furious and glared at her. She figured he'd been told to behave himself again, their kiss at the zoo apparently being front page news before they'd even got back to the clubhouse. Small town.

One of his hands slipped out of her dress, toying with her ponytail then balling his fist into her hair and yanking her head back roughly. Her breath skipped, her excitement fluttering in her stomach. He'd pulled her head back against his shoulder and she could see the glitter in his eyes, part lust part alcohol. His mouth was at the delicate skin of her throat again, the tip of his tongue lingering against her skin beaded with sweat from dancing.

"Dangerous territory." She said warningly, her voice a little too breathy and faltering for the calm she'd been aiming for. "You're going to do something you'll regret."

She was doing her best to be the one with a clear head but his hand was sliding south from her waist inside the confines of her dress. He relinquished his grip on her hair and she used the opportunity to turn her head towards him, lips clashing feverishly.

"I don't-" She pulled away with some difficulty, struggling to get out of his grasp. "I don't want you to…" She was finding it hard to concentrate as he pressed every millimetre of his body against her. "Your boss guy said no." She finally managed to get out. "It seems like a big deal if you don't do what he says."

He paused, leaning his forehead against her shoulder. She struggled to catch her breath, her heart thundering wildly against her ribs and her knees barely holding her up. She could feel his heartbeat punching against her shoulder blade, his hand tightening on her belly briefly before he made himself let her go. She crossed the hallway and leaned against the opposite wall, hoping the distance would help clear her head. It didn't. The tension was shimmering between them across the narrow space like a heat haze. Her wrist felt unusually warm and she blinked at it in surprise. When Chibs had grabbed her he'd accidentally grabbed her injured wrist, re-opening the fresh wound. The alcohol had thinned her blood enough for it to be bleeding profusely through the bandage and she cursed.

"Oh come on." She sighed, holding her wrist away from her dress.

Chibs made a movement towards her but she waved him off, pointing out that someone would have realised they were missing by now and the re-applying bandage excuse probably wouldn't work twice. He pushed away from the wall towards her. She held out her spare hand, laying her palm against the centre of his chest as if that would stop him. He took the hand from his chest and lifted it to his lips. She couldn't help making a small noise at the back of her throat and he grinned at her over her knuckles.

"Go away." She ordered before her resolve faltered.

He smirked, kissed her hand again and sauntered off. Naomi leant back against the wall and took a few deep breaths to still her trembling heart and quivering belly. When she thought her legs could actually hold her again she moved down the hallway and into the bathroom to wash off the fresh blood and dig up a new bandage.

* * *

"That looks nasty."

Naomi looked up at the doorway to Chibs's room with some difficulty, the bandage she was wrapping around her wrist hanging out of her mouth. Gemma dropped her bag onto the desk near the door and walked further into the room. Naomi went back to struggling with the bandage. She had a feeling the indignant offended womanly values bit she'd used on Jax yesterday wouldn't wash with Gemma. The older woman always had a knowing look on her face that said she knew exactly what you didn't want her to. Gemma sat down besides her on the bed, unwrapping the bandage from her arm and starting again.

"I sure hope you know what you're doing, sweetheart." Gemma said quietly, glancing at the redhead as she wound the bandage around her wrist.

She didn't reply but Gemma could see colour creeping up her neck. From this close she could see the pulse beating in her throat, the flicker in her eyes.

"That, is a good man." Gemma said calmly, the winding of the bandage almost hypnotic. "If I find out you're trying to come between him and his family-"

"I'm not!" Naomi interrupted before she could stop herself, looking at Gemma with horror-struck eyes. "I would never—" She forced herself to stop.

Gemma was silent, finishing the bandage and pinning it in place.

"I sure hope so darlin', because I'd hate for anything to happen to you. It's a dangerous world out there."

Naomi swallowed, pulling her wrist back into her lap. She didn't think Gemma would actually damage her injured wrist at this moment in time, but she was one hundred per cent certain the older woman would do what she was threatening if she thought Naomi had hurt Chibs. The two of them silently assessed each other.

"Hey Naomi! Chibs said you'd hurt your wrist again-" Juice came to an abrupt halt in the doorway, the beer in his hand tilting dangerously. "Sorry."

Gemma got to her feet and retrieved her bag.

"I was just leaving."

She glanced at Naomi over her shoulder. Naomi nodded at her, both to prove she got what Gemma was trying to say and out of respect. Gemma tilted her chin and eyed the redhead consideringly. Juice peered from one to the other anxiously, not even knowing what he'd do if Gemma actually went for Naomi. Eventually Gemma's lips curled in the barest hint of a smile that could have been a smirk and she left. Naomi let out the breath she'd been holding in a whoosh. Juice grinned at her, handing over the beer.

"Pain killer." He explained cheerfully, eyeing her out of the corner of her eye warily.

She grinned, wrapping her arm around his waist and squeezing.

"Don't look so worried, Juicey. Everything's fine."

* * *

Somehow the party had kicked up a notch again, everyone reaching their second wind, and Naomi was happily bopping away with Bobby under the watchful eye of Chibs. Bobby begged for a reprieve, staggering off the makeshift dancefloor to catch his breath and Naomi wandered back outside to get some cool air. She moved away from the dwindling crowd, going around the building and leaning against the garage wall. Her dress was sticking to her with sweat and her feet were aching from all the dancing. She was contemplating taking off her Converse when she thought she heard something. Her skin prickled. Footsteps put her on guard for a moment but after squinting into the shadows cast by the various small fires still burning in the lot, she could just discern a woman's outline. Figuring it was a drunken croweater returning from providing her 'services', Naomi leant back against the wall. Her eyes were closed as she relished the cold brick against her bare skin so she didn't even see the knife coming. It didn't even hurt, not before or after it happened. She just felt an intense pressure in a spot just below her belly, like someone was pressing their fist deeper and deeper into her stomach, and then there was a strange trickling warmth like she'd spilt a drink. That was how the whole thing felt, like a serious of random events that could be explained away individually. She opened her eyes in surprise. The girl was much younger than any of the other croweaters but her face was haggard, the leather corset and denim miniskirt she was wearing just a shade too loose on her unhealthily skinny frame. For a strange minute Naomi wondered how she'd even got in, all of the croweaters and sweetbutts were varying degrees of hot, pretty and sexy. Her eyes were blank; no fear, no compassion, not even any hatred. Just something almost like interest and it vaguely crossed Naomi's mind that she'd probably been paid to do it, it wasn't personal. The thought was strange, for some reason she'd kind of prefer that whoever killed her was at least invested in the act on some level.

Pain flared then, white hot and searing as the shock wore off. She grunted as the woman yanked out the knife and stepped away. Naomi slid a little down the wall as her knees gave out. She pressed her hand to her side instinctively, feeling as if someone had just pulled the plug on her insides. Hot thick liquid seeping through her fingers made her feel queasy. For a second she thought she was going to throw up and dizziness surged through her head. She tumbled down the wall and hit the ground hard, her knees suddenly weak. The ground was strangely warm and it took her a while to realise that it was her blood pooling beneath her. She realised that if she didn't do something she was going to die. It took a moment for the fuzzy idea to form and then travel through her brain properly. She opened her mouth and screamed. The woman looked briefly surprised, the knife clattering to the ground a few inches away from Naomi's face. The woman gave her a last look and scurried off into the shadows, her heels clacking oddly as she tried to run.

Naomi lay on the ground and stared up at the garage looming over her. She could hear the distant sound of revelry, hooting and cheering and music but no running footsteps, no shouting voices calling her name. No rescue. No one had heard her. She was going to bleed to death. Strangely enough she didn't feel scared, she felt sad that she'd never see Dex again but not overwhelmingly afraid as she'd expected to be when this moment came. She wondered if her life was going to flash before her eyes. She was still pretty young, it probably wouldn't take long. The stupid thought made her laugh but that hurt so much it was like being stabbed again and she hurriedly stopped. She felt faint and vague, like she was a drawing and someone was rubbing her out around the edges.

"Mother of Christ." She felt hands touching her face, pushing her hair back and tilting her head. "Naomi?" Chibs's face swam into her field of vision and she struggled to focus on it but everything was going a little blurry now. "Shit. What happened?"

Naomi made a gargantuan effort to speak, searching for her mouth.

"A woman…" She flicked her gaze towards the knife. "That way." She managed to point after the woman but even that little effort made her feel dizzy.

"Jesus." She heard Juice mutter somewhere above her.

She felt Chibs lifting her arm gently out of the way so he could see the stab wound.

"That looks bad." Juice stammered.

Naomi figured she was fading in and out of consciousness, she heard Chibs as if he was miles away, sending a hovering Half-Sack for the others, ordering them to find that woman. Then she must have blacked out because the pain of being moved snapped her back to reality. Pain blazed through her gut and if she'd had the energy she was sure she'd have thrown up. She came to again on top of a big table, hazy figures bustling around her and low murmuring voices piercing the mist clouding her brain. The pain in her side went beyond agony and settled into numbness.

"Shit." Gemma's voice cut through the haze like a machete and Naomi twitched feebly. "What the hell happened?"

"Some skank knifed her." Tig ground out from somewhere to her right.

"You find her?"

"Yeah." Happy's gravelly voice was graver than usual and just for a second, despite the pain still twisting up her insides, she felt sorry for the woman incurring Happy's wrath.

Tig and Happy must have retreated because the room felt less crowded although she still couldn't see a thing properly. Everything had gone pink, a reddish tint marring the few shapes she could make out.

"Chibs." Her throat was raw, her voice croaky and painful as if she hadn't used it in years.

"Yeah, lass." He leaned over her.

"I can't see."

He brushed her hair away from her face, using a damp cloth to clear the blood off her cheeks and eyelashes. She smiled gratefully when she could see him again and he gave her one of his half-smiles. She flinched when he prodded her wound gently. He used his knife to slice open her dress, peeling the ruined material away from her body. She felt a strange flush of embarrassment at the thought of him seeing her in her underwear, the random emotion foreign and disconcerting under the circumstances. She coughed, pain blazing through her body until tears leaked from her eyes. Juice sat down besides her and she rolled her head towards him on the tabletop.

"Hi."

He forced a smile onto his face, the sight only making her want to cry even more. He leaned his arm on the table besides her head, propping his chin on his forearm until his nose was only inches away from her cheek. His big brown eyes were shimmering with worry and affection. She was sorry that he'd be hurt when she died, that he'd grieve. She didn't want him to hurt. Whatever Chibs was doing with her wound, pain was washing over her in waves, constant and agonising and her eyelids flickered closed.

"Oh my God!"

She didn't turn to see Half-Sack in the doorway, from his voice she knew he was there though and that was enough.

"'Sack, I need clean towels, hot water, that medical kit." Chibs ordered without looking up from whatever he was doing that was scorching pain into every inch of her body. Half-Sack must have hesitated because Chibs shot daggers at him over his shoulder. "NOW!"

"Is she gonna be alright?" Jax asked as Half-Sack ran past him into the depths of the clubhouse.

"I don't know." Chibs said grimly, exchanging a look over his shoulder with Jax.

Half-Sack bounced off the doorframe in his hurry to get Chibs what he needed. Naomi listened to what was going on in a vague sort of way, their voices like white noise as she concentrated on listening to Juice telling her one of his goofy stories. Every now and then Chibs would murmur something soothing in his deep burring voice, his hand smoothing over her forehead. She stared at the scar on the cheek closest to her, the lips curved into a frown of concentration, and tried to stay alive.

* * *

Chibs worked on her in silence, letting the mechanical work of his hands and brain override the stricken pounding of his heart and the sickening churn of his stomach. She looked pale, young and vulnerable splayed out on their table. Her ponytail had fallen out and her hair was streaked with blood and dirt, spread across the shining wood. Every now and then Juice would glance across her at him and Chibs would meet his gaze. Chibs could see how much Juice adored her; it was all over his every expression, every inch of his posture and the quiet thrum of his voice as he talked to her. Juice was their little brother, the one they bullied a little and made fun of and manipulated sometimes. They loved him but he was their newest brother and he really made himself such an easy target being so naïve. Naomi had taken to Juice, shown him genuine affection and taken pleasure in his company. She had won his loyalty and affection. Rather than the burning jealousy he could have been feeling, Chibs felt an overwhelming surge of love for his brother's good heart. Juice had hold of her hand, the one caked and slippery in her own blood. He had averted his gaze with a faint blush when Chibs had cut open her dress and exposed her half naked body.

Half-Sack was hovering behind Chibs, fetching what was needed when he needed it, his concern radiating outwards. She'd grown on them, gaining their affection and respect and the complete unwavering worship of both Juice and Half-Sack. It was easier for Chibs to focus on what she meant to the others, rather than try to figure out what she meant to him. Given the current situation, that could send him over a mental cliff.

By some small miracle, the bitch had missed anything vital. She hadn't been able to get the big knife in too far, the wound wasn't even that deep but she'd need stitches. If they didn't get the blood stemmed she could bleed to death he worried anxiously as he worked. She'd already lost so much; her yellow dress was drenched from the waist down, her long bare legs and arms splotched with it.

By the time he was done, she was out cold from the shock and blood loss. Chibs slumped into a chair, swiping sweat from his forehead with the back of his arm. Juice clapped him on the shoulder comfortingly, rubbing a hand over his face tiredly. Chibs patted the hand lightly, looking up as Gemma walked in with a bowl of warm water and a towel. He lifted his eyebrows enquiringly.

"You guys wanna clean her up, or shall I?" She asked pointedly.

Juice scurried out so fast the breeze he caused lifted up her hair and she rolled her eyes, moving around Chibs towards Naomi. She soaked the towel in the water and set to work clearing away the dried blood.

"She good?"

Chibs looked at Gemma but she was staring intently down at the prone redhead.

"So long as she doesn't get an infection." He said quietly, exhausted from concentrating.

"You care about this one." Gemma observed in that tone of voice that brooked no arguments because she knew she was right. "She's hot. Smart. Tight little body." Gemma glanced over her shoulder, Chibs was peering at her intently with his mouth drawn into a contemplative frown. "I get it. You could do worse."

Chibs couldn't think of anything to say. Gemma finished cleaning Naomi up, dropping the bloody rag into the bowl of red water and turning back to face him. She crossed her arms over her chest, leaning back against the edge of the table.

"You okay, baby?"

Chibs leaned forwards in the chair and Gemma took his hand in hers.

"She's a good kid. She could do worse." She added with a smirk and Chibs chuckled. She grinned, leaning down and kissing his forehead. "Be careful, honey."

She shot a lingering glance at Naomi still sleeping behind her, squeezing Chibs's hand on her way out. Chibs sat where he was for a while, listening to Naomi's steady breathing. It was only now that he was finished that he allowed his hands to tremble slightly, the adrenaline, fear and panic he'd been squashing down surfacing.

"Here." He looked up at Jax, accepting the whiskey with a nod of gratitude. "Thought you might need this."

Chibs chugged some back as Jax studied Naomi. Gemma had pulled the ruined dress together to cover her modesty.

"She gonna be okay?"

Chibs repeated what he'd said to Gemma already, glugging some more whiskey.

"She's strong, she'll make it." Jax said decisively, shoving his hands into his pockets and leaning back against the table the same way Gemma had. "How you handlin' it, brother?"

Chibs looked up at him steadily, pondering the implications of the question. Jax merely looked curious and a little sad. Chibs nodded, taking another slug of the whiskey and handing it over. Jax took it. The older man looked exhausted; his shoulders drawn down as he brooded, his eyes flickering over the sleeping girl.

"You should get some sleep." Jax pushed away from the table, running his hand through his hair tiredly. "Been a long night."

"Aye." Chibs levered up out of the chair, his bones creaking in protest.

"You need a hand?"

Jax indicated Naomi and Chibs shook his head, scooping Naomi carefully up from the table. Her head rolled onto his shoulder and she stirred slightly. She fell back into a doze, her hand clutching the chain around his neck convulsively in her sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: don't own don't sue

Lyrics at the beginning are from What I Want by Daughtry

Set after Season One, before Abel is kidnapped and Gemma is raped and Jax turns into a jerk and the whole club hates each other. Generally back when the show had fun and all the coolest characters were still alive. Because I can, it's called artistic license.

**Learn My Lesson**

**Chapter Nine**

It always seemed that I was sorry for the things that I did  
But never did a thing about it 'til I let you in  
It's kinda funny about the time that I was falling apart  
You came and put me back together, now  
'Cause what I want and what I need  
Has now become the same thing you've been offering  
As days go by  
I've finally become what you want me to be  
I still remember all the stupid things that I've said and done  
But still, you stuck around with me when all your friends said, "Run!"  
Givin' me a name, I found myself inside all the flames  
Becoming everything for you again  
What I want and what I need  
Has now become the same thing you've been offering  
As days go by  
I've finally become what you want me to be  
Don't tell me you saw it all along  
God help me, I never knew it alone  
Guess I was wrong  
What I want and what I need  
Has now become the same thing you've been offering  
As days go by  
I've finally become what you want me to be  
And what I need  
Has now become the same thing you've been offering  
You've taken me  
And shaped me to become what you want me to be

"Am I dead?" Naomi groaned, too scared to move in case she was still alive and she set her body on fire again.

"Yeah."

She looked over at Juice, slumped in the chair by the door and blinking sleepily at her. She smiled; inordinately glad to see his goofy face. She held out her hand towards him and he climbed out of the chair, stretched his sore limbs and clomped over to her. Every thump of his boots on the floorboards rattled through her aching head but she took his hand and squeezed it tightly.

"I have never been so happy to see your stupid face." She said croakily and he laughed. "So what's the sitch?" She shifted slightly, becoming aware that she was on Chibs's bed rather than the table. "Am I gonna make it?"

The smile drooped from Juice's face and she felt a flash of fear in her chest, in a heartbeat her mind flying to the possibility that she was still dying.

"Chibs sewed you up." He nodded, squeezing her fingers again until his rings dug into her palm. "Did a good job, I guess. You slept for most of the past couple of days." He gave a strained half laugh. "We thought you might be in a coma. Then Tig offered to change your bandages and you woke up enough to slap him, then went back to sleep."

They both laughed a little too hard, working out some hysterical reaction. Naomi let her head drop back against the pillow, Juice's warm fingers reassuring in hers. Juice squinted at her, his head cocked on one side and she glared.

"You look like shit."

Naomi swore at him, whacking him with a pillow when he chuckled. A cough from the doorway saved him and she stuck out her tongue as he removed the pillow from her reach.

"How you feeling?" Opie asked, following Chibs into the room.

"Like an eighteen wheeler made me its bitch." She groaned, trying to wriggle into a sitting position.

Juice used his grip on her hand to help her sit up, wincing as she whimpered tightly at the pain. Chibs eyed their interlocked hands, his inscrutable gaze searching her face. Juice hurriedly dropped her fingers.

"Well if I'm looking at you jackasses, there's no way I'm in heaven." She sighed, leaning back against the pillows.

Opie handed her a glass of water and she gulped it down, luxuriating in the blissful feeling of it on its way down. The big guy smiled at her, pushing his hair behind his ear when she thanked him gratefully. She heard Happy's voice in the distant garage and something stirred at the back of her brain.

"What happened? To that woman?" She asked warily, handing Juice the empty glass.

Opie and Jax looked at Chibs, Chibs studied her contemplatively then inclined his head almost imperceptibly at Opie.

"They sent her after you. Figured a chick would have a better chance to get in here." Opie confirmed her fears, his gruff voice surprisingly soothing.

Naomi let her head fall back against the headboard, staring at the ceiling in silence.

"I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for?" Juice blurted.

"I brought this here. She could have killed anyone thinking they were me." She said miserably.

"Don't be stupid." Opie said gruffly and she looked at him in surprise. "You're here so we can protect you."

Juice looked down at the floor guiltily.

"You guys didn't… er…" Naomi couldn't quite bring herself to say 'torture', her stomach was queasy just thinking about it.

Opie and Chibs exchanged a look again.

"She's a junkie." Opie supplied. "It only took a day of cold turkey."

Naomi shivered, then winced as her entire body throbbed painfully. Chibs ordered everyone out, closing the door behind them with a kick of his boot.

"Any fever?" Chibs asked, using the back of his hand to test her forehead. "I need to check your bandages."

For the first time she actually looked at what she was wearing. Her ruined dress had been burned and someone had dressed her in another of Chibs's old shirts. She plucked at the t-shirt, wrinkling up the faded reaper's face between her fingers.

"You must be running out of these by now."

He grinned, running his finger under the hem of the shirt along her bare thigh.

"Look better on you, anyway."

He pushed the hem of the t-shirt up, revealing a pair of boxers with humping frogs all over them. She lifted her eyebrows at him. Her middle was swathed in bandages, a red patch staining them in an angry smile. He let her soak up the sight of them for a minute, his palm resting flat across her belly button providing heat and comfort. When she was ready she nodded, sitting up so he could unwind the bandages.

"Guess I'll have a scar now, too." She sighed as he revealed the raw angry stab wound on her navel, the stitches dark against her pale skin.

They both stared at her navel, the pale golden skin flushing into tender pink around the dark stitches. Naomi ran a finger around the wound gently, not close enough to touch the sore stitches, exploring. Chibs's hand was resting forgotten on her bare thigh while he waited for her to adjust. It was one thing to know you'd been stabbed, to actually see the evidence of it on your own body was something else. He scratched one of his scars without realising it, her vivid eyes following the movement.

"She missed anything vital. You lost a lot of blood, though."

He soaked a cloth in the lukewarm water he'd brought with him, running it carefully over her abdomen to remove the fresh blood. She held her breath as he cleaned the wound thoroughly.

"I know it hurts, lass." He murmured.

"After last night, I can take this." She muttered, her hand clenched tightly on the shoulder of his cut. "I hope." Her nails were digging into his skin through his cut she was squeezing that tightly. "Christ, I feel like I'm in labour."

He chuckled and she glared. He tossed away the cloth and unravelled a new bandage, wrapping up her waist again. She was quiet as he did it, leaning her forehead against his bare shoulder tiredly. He left her there, even after he was finished, one hand warm on the small of her back the other on her waist. She pulled away and pushed her hair from her face. She could feel it was still braided, all matted and stiff with blood.

"Bet I look fantastic, huh?" She gave him a wry grin, wincing when her face pulled strangely.

She held up one hand and explored gingerly, touching swollen skin. Chibs took her hand away from her cheek, his fingertips brushing her skin lightly.

"You hit the ground pretty hard."

He looked at her steadily. There was hardly an inch between them, her hand still on his shoulder, her fingertips sliding under the edge of his cut. She was sure she smelt pretty ripe right about now but he was looking at her with nothing but tenderness and a shade of exasperation.

"I know, I know…" She grinned ruefully. "I need to stop walking off on my own."

"I think this counts as an 'I told you so'."

She punched Chibs in the shoulder.

"Alright alright. Can I take a shower with this?" She indicated the bandages.

Chibs shook his head a fraction and she pouted. He sighed, leaning back on the heels of his hands.

"Please?" She wheedled, ignoring the pain blazing in her abdomen and leaning towards him. She put one hand on either side of his hips on the mattress, her lips inches away from his. "I. Really. Really. Really…" She punctuated each word by pressing a kiss along his jawline. "Need. A. Shower." She nuzzled the delicate spot under his earlobe with her nose. "Ow." She came to an abrupt halt when her stomach throbbed angrily at her rapid movement.

"I'll get one of the girls to help." Chibs offered, taking her elbows and helping her straighten up a little.

"Fine." She grumbled. "Just a suggestion, but you might wanna start being a little pickier about the bimbos you guys let in here. Just a thought." Naomi muttered as he helped her out of the bed.

He lifted his eyebrows at her and she grinned, wrapping her arm around his neck as he hauled her to her feet. She wobbled dizzily and he hooked her closer. She leaned against him as he helped her walk across the room to the bathroom. He sat her down on the edge of the toilet while he started the shower and adjusted the temperature. She watched him, something undefinable flickering in her ribcage. She'd nearly died. Again. This time she hadn't had time to react for herself, apart from screaming she hadn't stood a chance. If they hadn't helped her she'd be in the morgue right now.

"Hey." She murmured and he looked up at her, his face creased up in confusion. "Come here."

Thinking she was in too much pain to get back up, he crossed over to her. She took his face in her hands and he blinked in surprise, his big dark eyes studying her closely. She could almost see herself reflected in them. She pushed her hands into his hair, the long strands feeling slick with sweat and grease from what had clearly been another long difficult night of Samcro business. He let her fingers explore; tracing along the scars on his cheeks, tickling his feathery eyelashes, caressing the curve of his lower lip. Hooking her fingers into the neck of his cut, she pulled him closer until their lips met. Her face was sore from face-planting the ground but she made it work, her hands roaming his neck, shoulders and back, tangling in his hair. His hands slid along her thighs under the t-shirt and she leaned in closer, the pain from her wound long forgotten.

"Ahem."

Chibs didn't even break contact, waving one hand over his shoulder at the sweetbutt hovering in the doorway. The sweetbutt didn't retreat, she'd clearly been ordered by Clay or Gemma to make them behave.

"Just can't catch a break." Naomi muttered mutinously, pulling away from Chibs's crouched form.

The sweetbutt looked at her sympathetically as Chibs stomped off, shoving past her without a word.

* * *

"So… this might be less awkward if I knew your name." Naomi said as cheerfully as she could when she'd been stripped naked by a complete stranger who was currently aiming the shower at various areas of her body trying to minimise the damage to the fresh bandages.

"Lolita." The girl said and Naomi couldn't quite hold back the snort of amusement.

"Seriously?"

The girl glared, her cheeks turning pink. Naomi had the feeling the girl was pretty used to that reaction and the laughter that usually followed.

"Sorry." She apologised. "I'm Naomi." She obediently turned around so Lolita could scrub her back with a huge sponge that looked suspiciously like it came from the garage. "So how long have you been, er…" Naomi bit her lip, wondering how to phrase it without getting slapped. "Here?" She finished lamely.

"A few months." Lolita shrugged, using a wet hand to push her blonde hair off her damp forehead. "They treat us well. I was at a club in Phoenix for a while. They used to knock us about if we didn't… do what they wanted."

She scrubbed Naomi's shoulder a little harder than was necessary but Naomi kept her mouth shut.

"They're good guys." She agreed fondly, swivelling back around towards her.

Lolita didn't reply, just indicated for her to bend over towards her so she could wash her hair. It was a two handed job so Naomi took the showerhead from her and held it up above her head as Lolita rubbed in the shampoo. Conversation was a bit difficult with soap and water pouring down her face but Lolita kept up a steady stream of croweater gossip. She never mentioned Chibs though, and Naomi noted this fact with some amusement. Clearly, despite Clay's orders filtering down the ranks as far as their women, people had picked up on something. The thought should have made her angry, she could at least have been sleeping with him if that's what they were all thinking anyway, but instead it caused a strange fluttery feeling in her belly. The kind you got when you drove over a hill suddenly without expecting it.

"Thanks." She grinned as Lolita helped her out of the shower and into a towel. "I know you probably didn't want to do this."

"I've done worse things." She shrugged. "Do you need me to stay?"

Naomi shook her head, thanking her again. Lolita shrugged it off awkwardly, disappearing out the door as fast as she possibly could. Naomi dried herself off, wincing as every movement yanked at her stitches. Someone had left clean underwear and a fresh shirt on the bed. She worked her underwear up with minimal pain but she only managed to get halfway into the shirt before the pain doubled her up and she whimpered.

"What the hell are you doing?"

She swivelled towards the sound of Chibs's voice. She hadn't even heard the door open from the depths of the shirt. He sounded exasperated and a little amused and she groaned.

"Get me out of this thing." She snapped, grunting as trying to straighten up only made her feel even worse.

She felt his rough hands untangling the shirt from her arms, pulling it down over her shoulders until it fell into place over her body. He fluffed her hair out of the collar and it fell heavily in damp tangles down her back. She grinned at him ruefully, her hand on her wound in the vain hope it would stop hurting.

"Thanks."

"Here."

Chibs handed her two white pills and a bottle of water as she manoeuvred herself carefully onto the bed.

"Painkillers or drugs?" She asked once she'd swallowed the pills and left the empty glass on the bedside table.

"Does it matter?"

"If it makes the pain go away, no." She grimaced, cradling her side again.

She pointed at the cluttered tabletop across the room and Chibs uncoiled his body and retrieved the brush she was pointing at, sitting back down on the bed besides her. She gritted her teeth as she worked the brush through her long hair, holding her breath as she hacked at the knots.

"Are you guys going to ship me off now?" She asked suddenly and Chibs, who'd been sitting silently smoking and watching her, cocked his head inquisitively. "I mean what if that girl had stabbed Gemma or something? You guys are in danger if I stay, right?"

Chibs took a long drag of his smoke, exhaling a big white cloud thoughtfully. He'd been watching the brush strokes, watching the tangled mess become a smooth slick river of molten red. He'd almost been mesmerised. He used to watch Fiona brushing Kerrianne's hair after her bath. It had always soothed him.

"If they know you're here, and it looks like they do." He conceded when she snorted derisively. "Hiding you somewhere else won't take the heat off us if they know we're still protecting you."

Naomi had finished untangling her hair but she kept brushing anyway, her hand moving as if completely independent of her body.

"I don't want any of you getting hurt. Especially not because of me." She said fiercely, yanking the brush through her hair so hard her scalp tingled painfully. "Just thinking that little bitch could have stabbed you, or Half-Sack or Juice…" She swallowed painfully. "Jax, Tig, Opie, Piney… hell even the indestructible Happy or Gemma. The thought makes me nauseous."

She turned away from him, glaring at the wall as if she could put a hole in it with the force of her gaze. She jabbed the brush through her hair angrily, her mouth a flat ugly line as she tried not to cry. Chibs could see the exact moment something occurred to her; her hand faltering, the brush coming to a halt halfway through a brushstroke, and her back went very rigid.

"How did they know I was here?" She didn't turn to look at him, it was almost as if she'd forgotten he was even there. "If they know the cops brought me here, what about Dex? Do they know where he is? Did I lead them to my brother?"

She was getting hysterical and Chibs took the brush from her before she could injure herself with it in her distracted state. Her hands were trembling frantically and he took them into his lap.

"No one knows where he is."

"I want to speak to him." She demanded immediately. "Please. I need to talk to him. I need to make sure-"

"You can't." Chibs said regretfully, squeezing her hands when her face crumpled in on itself sadly. "Not now. Give it a few days and then I promise-"

"You're sure he's safe?" She pulled her hands out of his and put them on his shoulders, staring at him intently. "Promise me." She insisted, her voice dropping in her intensity. She leaned forwards. "Please."

Chibs touched her chin, brushing his fingers along her jawline and into her hair, his thumb caressing her earlobe absently.

"I promise."

She sighed, hanging her head glumly and nodding miserably. He touched his lips briefly to her forehead and she rested her head against his shoulder.

"Hungry?" He murmured. "Let's get some grub."

She was greeted by a chorus of hearty cheers as they emerged into the main clubhouse. Various cheeks were kissed and waists were squeezed but Naomi politely refused Tig's offer of a hug by playing the injury card. Juice slid off a stool at the bar and helped her up onto it, handling her as if she were glass. Chibs ordered Juice to get her some food but Naomi hurriedly said she wasn't hungry. She'd seen Juice's attempts at cooking before and it had never ended well. Chibs chuckled, rocking Juice's head with one hand.

"'Sack, food." He ordered and Half-Sack scrambled around the pool table towards them in his haste to obey.

"What do you want? Anything."

She smiled at Half-Sack's earnest face.

"Surprise me."

Half-Sack darted off, hesitated and then returned looking all kinds of sheepish.

"I'm real glad you're okay." He murmured, toeing the ground shyly as Tig, Bobby and Happy jeered at him cheerfully.

"Kip." She gestured to him and he moved towards her, giving the pool table a wide berth as Tig made loud smacking kissy noises at him. "I'm glad too."

She gave him a brief chaste kiss on the mouth that had Happy hooting obscenely across the room, folding him into a hug that he was too scared of hurting her to return. He scampered off happily and she laughed, leaning one arm against the bar and rubbing her wound gingerly. It was throbbing again. She looked across at Clay and Jax who were talking quietly across the room, their hands gesturing angrily.

"That's not my fault, is it?" She asked Juice in an undertone whilst Chibs was distracted talking to Piney, jerking her head towards them.

"No." His eyes darted across the room, then back at Naomi. "Well. Not entirely." Juice admitted sheepishly. "Clay thinks there's leak somewhere. That's how they knew to put that skank crack whore here." Juice turned purple when Naomi lifted her eyebrows at his words.

"He thinks someone told them where to find me?" She murmured in an undertone, leaning a little closer when the pool balls clacked loudly and Bobby cheered.

"She won't talk."

Naomi looked down at her hands in her lap, feeling a torrent of emotions swirling in her stomach.

"I want to talk to her."

Juice's elbow slipped off the bar. She'd said it loudly enough to halt Chibs and Piney's conversation. Happy, Tig and Bobby were looking over. The sudden silence distracted Jax and Clay. Jax shook his head at the suggestion when Naomi repeated it but Clay eyed her pensively.

"Let her."

Every single head in the room swivelled towards him in amazement, including Naomi's. Voices broke out, climbing over each other anxiously, until Clay hollered for silence.

"She wants to do it? Let her. Can't hurt."

Chibs and Jax looked at each other darkly but Naomi struggled down off her stool and stood in front of Clay, her chin tilted defiantly.

"I'll do it. I want to help. You need to know who's talking." She straightened up even though it hurt, her eyes straying past Clay to Happy whose face was expressionless as always. "She's not going to tell you, obviously."

Clay turned to Tig.

"Take her. Let's get these ladies talking."

"And me." Chibs stood up, stubbing out his cigarette.

"No." Clay cocked his head towards Chibs.

Before he could argue, Clay walked away and Tig had taken her elbow to lead her away.

"Do I not need to get dressed or something?" She asked hesitantly as Tig led her towards the back door.

Tig eyed her lingeringly from head to bare toes and she forced a smile, feeling as if she were naked besides him despite Chibs's shirt. Tig tended to have that effect on women. The concrete ground of the lot was hot beneath her bare feet as she hurried after Tig. He moved around the clubhouse to a small concrete building at the end of the lot. It looked like a shed. Tig unlocked the padlock on the door, pulling it open a few inches and ushering her inside. It was dark inside, a little cooler from the thick stone walls hidden in the shadow of the garage. The girl was curled up in the foetal position at the back of the room. She whimpered when the door closed and Tig flicked on the light.

"You're not gonna leave, right?" Naomi asked him, suddenly realising that she did not want to be alone with the woman who'd already tried to kill her once. Tig didn't reply but he leant back against the wall, one booted foot propped up against the concrete behind him. Naomi felt a little better knowing he was there. She took a few steps forwards.

"Hi."

The girl moaned, burying her face against the concrete. At first Naomi thought they really had tortured her, but then her eyes adjusted to the dim light. The girl was drenched in sweat, stinking of her own urine and vomit. She groaned again. It was pretty obvious, even to someone with no experience of this kind of thing, that she was suffering from forced cold turkey. Emphasis on the suffering. Naomi swallowed, lifting one hand to cover her nose against the smell. There were bottles of water lined up against the wall and Naomi reached for one. She squatted down near the girl, unscrewing the cap and offering it to her.

"Here."

With surprising quickness the girl's arm flew out and her hand grabbed her wrist in an iron grip. Naomi shrieked in surprise, lurching backwards onto her butt hard. Tig darted across the room in a flash.

"Let go of her, skank." He snarled, aiming his boot at the girl's exposed side.

The girl clung on but Naomi managed to twist herself out of her grip. She shuffled backwards on her butt, putting a little space between them.

"Help." The girl whined, scuttling back from Tig when he kicked his boot at her dangerously.

"She wants the junk." He spat derisively, glaring at the huddled form.

"Okay." Naomi said calmly, scooting back a further few inches when the girl lifted her head and squinted at her through her straggly hair. "We'll get you some." The girl's mouth twisted disbelievingly. "I need to know how you knew where I was." The words tumbled out in a rush. "How did you know where to find me?"

The girl laughed, a harsh guttural mirthless sound that hurt Naomi's ears. She looked over at Tig, who looked back at her warily.

"They'll kill me." The girl slurred, her voice as twisted up as her expression. "And not quickly."

She laughed again, rolling over onto her back and staring at the ceiling. She giggled as if this happening to her was the funniest thing she'd ever experienced.

"Do you want the pain to go away?" Naomi asked, her voice calm and surprisingly strong. "Do you want it to stop?"

"Yes." The girl looked across at her hopefully, saliva drooling out of her mouth. "I want it to stop. Make it stop."

"You want something?" Naomi continued, making herself look the girl in the eye.

"I do. Bad. Please." The girl pleaded, she was panting heavily as if she was starting to hyperventilate. "Please. Please. Please."

She kept repeating it, over and over and over again.

"Shut up." Naomi ordered, her voice coming out ugly and raw. She swallowed. "Give me what I want, and I'll give you what you want."

"I can't." The girl whined childishly, glaring at Naomi. "I can't. I can't. I can't."

"Stop talking like that." Naomi snapped, climbing to her feet. "You want to act like a child, we'll treat you like one. You want to be an adult? You know what you have to do to get what you want. Let me know when you're ready to act like a grown woman."

She turned away. Tig was gawping at her in amazement, too stunned to react. She'd almost made it to the door when the girl gave a defeated screech, flopping onto her front as if she really was going to kick and scream and throw a temper tantrum.

"Alright. Bitch." She muttered, looking very much like a sulky thwarted child. She moaned piteously, coiling in on herself as her entire body shook wildly. When it was over she gulped for breath, glowering at Tig and Naomi.

Naomi felt sick but she held firm, her arms folded over her chest and her face pulled into a mask of impatience.

"Some guy in the lawyer's office." The girl ground out, looking as if she were having her teeth pulled out.

"Name." Naomi's voice was pure steel.

"I don't know his fucking name." The girl hissed, spittle flying out of her mouth in every direction.

"Don't lie to me. I'm betting you were high as a kite, slumped on some sofa listening to every little thing that was being said. Luckily for you, all I want is one piece of information." Naomi shrugged her shoulders. "Or maybe you need a little more time to think it over."

She turned away again, this time getting as far as opening the door before the girl called her back.

"Murdoch." She spat it at her like it was poison in her mouth. "Okay? Murdoch. That's all I got."

"Thank you."

Naomi stumbled out of the door and after a moment Tig followed, cutting off the girl's plaintive wailing. He stared at her in silence all the way back across the lot.

"What?" She snapped, coming to a halt and putting her hands on her hips defensively.

"Didn't know you had it in you." Tig lifted his eyebrows, eyeing her from top to bottom again. "Kinda hot."

"Please tell me that did not do something for you." Naomi said in disbelief, swallowing uneasily when Tig's mouth curled into a smirk.

"Little bit."

Naomi threw up her hands in disgust, stalking away from him. They were sitting in tense silence in the clubhouse, drinking and smoking and staring into space. They turned to look at them, Clay lifting his eyebrows at Tig. Tig nodded and relayed the information.

"Makes sense." Bobby muttered. "They'd have to inform your lawyer where you were going to be."

They huddled together, no one noticing Naomi slipping away on wobbly legs. Happy demanded to know how they'd gotten her to talk when he'd been unable to so Tig told them. Chibs felt something cold creep into his stomach. He searched the clubhouse but she wasn't there.

He found her in the bathroom of his room, on the floor with her head in the toilet. When she was done she slouched away from toilet, leaning back against the wall. Her face was streaked with tears, blotchy and swollen. She looked worse now than she had when she'd been stabbed. Chibs sat down against the wall opposite her, watching as fresh tears rolled over her cheekbones. She groaned, lurching over the bowl again. He reached over to push her hair away from her sweating face but she waved him off.

"Don't." She murmured into the depths of the bowl. "I really hate myself right now, please don't be nice to me."

He remained silent, leaning back against the wall patiently. They were still sitting there when Juice bobbed in looking beyond chirpy.

"Are you okay?" He looked from one to the other, his cheerful expression drooping slightly.

"Think I've got a bit of concussion." Naomi lied, wiping her mouth.

"Oh. Your food is here." Juice looked at her pale face unhappily. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Naomi got unsteadily to her feet, leaning one hand against the wall for support.

"I'm starving." She announced as cheerfully as she could manage.

* * *

"Night guys." Opie and Jax shouted on their way out, the last two to leave for the night.

Chibs yawned widely, scrubbing his hands over his tired face and downing the last of his beer. Tig had passed out on the sofa hours ago, snoring loudly in the corner. Chibs turned out the lights as he made his way through the clubhouse. Naomi's door was open a crack even though the light wasn't on and he frowned. He tapped on the wood lightly, her murmuring voice carrying through the gap. She was a lump in the depths of the bed.

"I was waiting for you." She breathed almost silently; if the clubhouse hadn't been deserted he never would have heard it.

He pushed open the door and squeezed through, closing it behind him. The room was pitch black apart from the moonlight shining through the window in a square pale patch highlighting the bed. He sat down on the end of the bed, his mind working through something in the darkness. She emerged from the covers, kneeling behind him and wrapping her arms around his waist.

"I nearly died." He could feel her lips moving against his shoulderblade through his thin t-shirt, her warm palms splayed on his chest. "I don't want to be alone. Stay."

It sounded like half a question, half a demand. Either way he didn't care. She peeled off his shirt, leaving feathery light kisses all over his shoulders and the back of his neck as he pulled off his boots and socks. He stood up to unbuckle his jeans and she crawled back under the sheets, pulling them back ready for him. It was only when he was under the sheets that he realised she'd pulled off his t-shirt while his back was turned. Her naked skin was warm against his arm, the soft scratching of the bandages oddly sensual against the light hairs on his forearm. He pulled her in close, mindful of her wound as she snuggled deeper into his chest.


End file.
